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BANCROFT    LIBRARY 


HISTORY 


—OF  THE— 


REGULATORS  and  MODERATORS 


AND  THE 


Shelby  County  War  in  1841  and  1842, 

IN  THE 

REPUBLIC  OF  TEXAS, 

With  facts  and  incidents  in  the  early  history  of  the 
Republic  and  State,  from  1837  to  the  annex- 
ation, together  with  incidents  of  fron- 
tier life  and  Indian  troubles,  and 
the  war  on  the  Reserve  in 
Young  county  in  1857. 

BY  JONH  W.  MIDDLETON, 
An  active  participant  in  ail  the  scenes  described  and  a  Texas  Pioneer. 


Fort  Worth,  Texas: 

Loving  Publishing  Company. 

1883. 


HISTORY 


—OF  THE— 


REGULATORS  and  MODERATORS 


AND  THE 


Shelby  County  War  in  1841  and  1842, 


IN  THE 


REPUBLIC  OF  TEXAS, 

With  facts  and  incidents  in  the  early  history  of  the 
Republic  and  State,  from  1837  to  the  annex- 
ation, together  with  incidents  of  fron- 
tier life  and  Indian  troubles,  and 
the  war  on  the  Reserve  in 
Young  county  in  1857. 

BY  JONH  W.  MIDDLETON, 
An  active  participant  in  all  the  scenes  described  and  a  Texas  Pioneer. 


Fort  Worth,  Texas: 

Loving  Publishing  Company. 

1883. 


Dedication: 


to  my  wife,  rtlrs.  Jan*  G.  Widdleton,  an  old 
citizen  oftexas,  and  cognizant  of  many  facts  related 
in  this  pamphlet,  and  now  the  companion  and  solace 
of  my  declining  years,  this  pamphlet  is  with  love 
and  affection  dedicated 

By  her  fjusband, 

J.  W.  MIDDLETON. 


Bancroft  Library 


PREFACE. 


I  am  now  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  time  from  my  birth.  Have  been 
an  active  citizen  of  Texas  ever  since  1837,  and  been  a  participant  in  many 
of  the  graphic  as  well  as  the  sanguinary  incidents  related  in  the  following 
pages.  And  I  am  impelled  by  a  sense  of  justice  and  due  regard  to  the 
memory  and  the  appreciation  of  my  comrades,  friends  and  associates — tried, 
good  and  true  of  that  time — "trying  time" — to  give  to  the  public  in  my 
declining  years  a  true,  faithful  and  impartial  account  of  things  that  to  my 
own  knowledge  have  so  often  been  misrepresented.  And  I  hereby  give  to 
the  future  historian  of  the  early  history  of  Texas  for  his  guidance  the  facts 
contained  in  this  narrative. 


HISTORY 


•F  THE- 


Regulators  and  Moderators 


And  the  Shelby  County  War. 


CHAPTER   I. 

Yielding  to  the  solicitations  of  many  old  friends  and  participants  in  the 
exciting  scenes  of  the  early  history  Republic  of  Texas,  and  desirous  to  correct 
the  errors  which  have  arisen  in  regard  to  the  causes  of  the  "Shelby  County 
War,"  and  to  place  before  the  public  in  a  fair  and  impartial  light  the  action  of  the 
two  parties  engaged  in  the  difficulties  in  Shelby  and  other  counties  in  Eastern 
Texas  in  1841  and  1842, 1  have  undertaken  this  work.  I  was  a  resident  at  that  time 
of  Shelby  county  and  a  witness  to  and  sufferer  in  many  of  the  bloody  conflicts 
of  that  stormy  period.  Many  histories  have  been  written  of  the  time  mentioned, 
but  either  facts  have  been  suppressed  or  such  a  coloring  has  been  given  them 
as  to  do  injustice  to  one  or  the  other  of  the  parties  engaged.  The  only  exactly, 
fair  and  true  narrative,  that  to  my  knowledge  was  ever  written,  was  by  Colonel 
Mormon,  and  this  was  destroyed  or  lost,  and  in  consequence  of  his  death  it 
could  not  be  reproduced.  The  loss  of  his  work  has  been  long  deplored  by 
those  who  felt  a  deep  interest  in  transmitting  to  their  posterity  the  true  history 
of  that  period  and  shielding  their  names  from  the  obloquy  in  which  it  has  been 
sought  to  clothe  them.  Many  years  have  passed  since  the  occurrence  of  the 
events  I  am  about  to  relate,  but  they  survive  fresh  and  green  in  my  memory. 


— 6— 

Old  age  has  fallen  upon  me  and  many  others  who  upheld  law  and  order  in  those 
dangerous  days,  and  with  no  little  consolation  we  remember  that  all  our  efforts 
were  devoted  to  the  good  of  this,  then,  new  country  and  to  the  advancement  of 
its  moral  condition. 

It  is  fitting,  before  I  enter  upon  my  narrative,  that  I  give  a  brief 
biography  of  myself,  w4ith  some  mention  of  my \  ancestry.  John  Middleton,  a 
grandfather,  was  an  American  soldier  in  the  wa'r  of  the  Revolution,  and  was 
present  at  the  battles  of  the  Cowpens  and  Guilford  Court  House;  served  under 
Gates  until  his  defeat  and  then  under  Green  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  the  officer  sent  to  arrest  Champ,  who  was  sent  after  Arnold,  the  traitor, 
who  deserted  to  the  British,  and  pursued  him  so  closely  that  he  got  his  cloak, 
as  Champ  got  too  far  into  the  deep  water  of  the  sea  for  him  to  be  followed. 
Champ  acting  as  a  deserter  to  promote^  success.  After  the  Revolution  he 
belonged  to  a  company  to  sustain  law  and  order,  and  assisted  to  maintain 
it  by  constant  efforts  to  arrest  and  bring  to  justice  violators  of  the  law. 
Among  these  felons  were  the  Big  and  Little  Arp,  whose  misdeeds  were 
notorious  throughout  the  country.  Big  Arp  was  killed  by  Elisha  Green,  in 
South  Carolina,  near  his  cave  in.  the  wilderness.  His  death  resulted  fnom 
maltreatment  of  the  wife  of  a  man  named  Leeper  by  Lit:le  Arp.  Little 
Arp  continued  his  criminal  conduct  and  operated  on  the  "old  road"  from 
Natchez,  Mississippi,  to  Nashville,  Tennessee.  <  A  notorious  rover  who 
conducted  his  villianies  alone  and  for  whose  body  a  reward  of  one 
thousand  dollars  was  offered  in  Natchez,  remained  very  near  the  "Lower 
Natchez  road"  and  the  Choctaw  line.  Little  Arp  and  his  partner  knowing  his 
whereabouts  and  anxious  for  the  reward,  went  to  his  camp,  killed  him,  cut  off  his 
head  and  carried  his  body  to  Natchez,  believing  the  head  not  wanted  as  the 
reward  was  only  offered  for  the  body.  They  were  immediately  arrested  by  the 
people  and  executed,  as  they  were  as  obnoxious  as  the  man  they  had  killed. 
This  ended  the  criminals  of  that  section. 

My  mother  was  Martha  Tubb,  and  my  great-grandfather,  George  Tubb, 
Sr.,  was  under  Washington  at  Braddock's  defeat  and  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill.  He,  his  two  brothers  and  all  their  sons,  over  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
were  in  the  Colonial  Army,  under  the  immediate  command  of  Gen.  Washington 
during  the  entire  Revolutionary  war,  and  all  survived  but  one. 

When  the  Creek  war  broke  out  in  1812,  my  father  was  working  out  a 
saltpetre  cave  in  what  is  now  Lawrence  county,  Tennessee,  on  Crosson's  fork 
of  Shoal  creek.  All  who  had  been  working  with  him,  except  his  sixteen  year  old 
brother  had  gone  to  Nashville  with  saltpetre.  At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of 
the  Indians  my  father  was  burning  wood  to  make  ashes  to  procure  lye,  and 
finding  Indian  signs  too  thick  to  remain,  it  became  necessary  to  return  sixty 
miles  home  to  procure  aid.  He  left  John  and  the  brother  sixteen  years  old,  in 
the  cave,  where  they  remained  four  days  concealed  from  the  Indians,  until  his 
return  with  six  men.  He  attempted  to  carry  back  with  him  a  cow  and  calf 
and  being  the  only  mounted  man  in  the  party  on  the  return,  he  rode  in  advance 


7 

to  clear  the  way  for  the  wagon.  He  stopped  once  to  cut  away  some  saplings 
that  were  obstructing  the  road,  when  the  cow  and  calf  went  on, passed  over  a  hill; 
going  on  after  them  he  discovered  the  trail  of  a  large  body  of  Indians  who  a  few 
minutes  before  crossed  the  road  and  finding  the  cow  and  calf,  had  driven  them 
away  with  them.  They  were  at  once  abandoned  and  it  was  thought  a  fortunate 
escape.  A  draft  was  immediately  ordered  by  the  President  for  men  to  fight  the 
Creeks.  My  father  was  drafted  by  drew  out  and  commenced  making  up  a 
volunteer  company.  General  Jackson  went  out  with  sixty  days  men  and  fought 
the  battles  of  Talladega,  Hickory  Ground,  Heights  of  Muckfaw  and  Muckfaw 
Creek,  and  fell  back,  and  another  draft  was  made  for  four  months  men  for 
reinforcements.  My  father  was  again  drafted,  and  as  his  company  was  not 
ready  he  went  out  as  a  volunteer,  in  the  regiment  of  Colonel  Pickard,  in  the 
brigade  of  General  Coffee.  The  sixty  days  men  were  detained  eight  days  to 
fight  the  battle  of  the  Horseshoe.  The  Fort  was  at  the  upper  end  of  the  heel  of 
the  Bend.  General  Jackson  went  around  the  Bend  and  crossed  Coosa  river 
just  above  the  Falls,  guided  by  James  Fife,  Chinerly  and  old  Mr.  Quarles. 
General  Jackson  marched  down  and  commenced  cannonading  the  Fort.  Gen. 
Coffee  went  around  the  Bend  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  crossing  the  river  and 
making  their  escape.  In  this  battle  my  father,  Drury  Mlddleton,  participated 
actively,  being  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  Going  forward  at  the  command  of 
General  Coffee,  with  two  men  from  each  company  to  act  as  an  advance  and 
give  information  of  the  enemy,  he  was  separated  from  the  main  command,  and 
remained  upon  the  battle  field  and  fought  until  he  was  the  last  or  among  the 
last  to  leave  the  ground.  The  line  of  march  was  then  taken  up  for  home,  when 
the  men  were  discharged. 

The  first  battle  fought,  at  New  Orleans  was  on  December  23,  1814  at  night, 
and  of  the  volunteers  from  Tennessee,  the  killed  and  captured  were  sixty-three. 
The  soldiers  on  their  return  from  New  Orleans  were  distressed  for  salt  and 
bread,  meat  being  plenty.  I  rode  and  carried  on  a  pony,  three  bushels  of 
meal  200  miles,  for  their  relief. 

This  much  I  have  thought  proper  to  mention  in  relation  to  my  ancestry, 
that  it  may  be  seen  that  I  have  inherited  love  of  country  and  devotion  to  her 
laws;  and  now  in  the  closing  years  of  a  long  life  filled  with  peril  and  adventure, 
among  scenes  wild  and  civilized,  in  society  of  every  sort,  in  peace  and  in 
danger,  I  have  sought  only  to  be  worthy  the  brave  and  patriotic  men  who  had 
gone  before,  and  by  devotion  to  my  country,  uphold.ng  its  laws  and  advancing 
the  best  interests  of  society  in  endeavoring  to  sustain  its  morals  and  religibn,  to 
deserve  the  name  I  bear. 


—8— 


CHAPTER  II. 

I  was  born  January  3,  1808,  the  son  of  Drury  and  Martha  M.  Mdddleton, 
and  on  December  15,  1831,  was  married  to  Mary  Ann  Chalk,  who  was  born 
April  12,  1810,  in  North  Carolina,  near  the  mouth  of  Chowan  river.  A  wife 
faithful  and  affectionate,  she  performed  every  duty,  professing  religion  at  Mount 
Nebo  camp  meeting  ground  in  Maury  county,  Tennessee,  she  lived  religiously 
until  called  to  live  with  the  children  of  God,  March  23,  1871.  I  resided  in 
Tennessee  until  the  autumn  of  1834,  when  I  removed  to  Marshall  county, 
Mississippi,  ten  miles  north  of  Holly  Springs,  where,  as  the  proprietor  of  a 
house  of  entertainment  on  the  p.ublic  road,  I  became  known  to  large  numbers 
of  people.  Losses  in  business  affairs  rendering  me  dissatisfied  and  desirous  to 
try  my  fortune  in  a  new  country,  I  resolved  upon  removal,  and  on  the  15th  day 
of  June,  1837,  I  landed  with  my  family,  in  the  Republic  of  Texas,  and  settled 
in  the  county  of  Shelby.  The  country  was  thinly  settled  and  the  condition  of 
society  disagreeable,  as  there  were  many  settlers  who  were  fugitives  from 
justice  in  the  United  States.  The  unsettled  political  situation  of  the  Republic 
and  the  nearness  of  Shelby  county  to  the  line  of  the  United  States,  rendering 
it  easy  to  carry  on  acts  of  lawlessness  and  crime  and  to  continue  that  course  of 
conduct  which  had  rendered  the  perpetrators  exiles  from  the  United  States 

Harrison  and  Panola  counties  join  Shelby  county,  and  lie  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  State,  contiguous  to  Louisiana.  Settling  in  Shelby  county, 
I  commenced  farming,  and  was  soon  known  to  the  community  as  one  who 
desired  peace,  but  was  always  ready  to  lend  my  aid  to1  preserve  order  and  assist 
in  the  punishment  and  expulsion  of  any  who  were  guilty  of  acts  of  violence  or 
breeches  of  the  law  of  the  .country. 

In  Shelby  county  were  two  political  parties,  known  as  the  English  and 
Haley  parties.  They  were  divided  in  politics  but  united  in  their  protection  of 
the  desperado  and  fugitive  from  justice. 

I  will  narrate  a  few  incidents  occurring  between  1837  and  1840. 

In  April,  1837,  Amos  and  Jim  Strickland  committed  the  theft  of  a  store  in 
the  State  of  Louisiana  and  transferred  it  on  horseback  to  Texas.  They  were 
so  hotly  pursued  that  nearly  all  the  goods  were  recovered  by  the  owners.  In 
1838,  Jim  Strickland  stole  a  mare  from  a  man  named  Henry  Cannon  and  being 
seen  in  possession  of  it  by  Ben  Odell,  the  mare  was  freed  and  she  returned 
to  her  owner.  Strickland  denied  the  theft  and  afterwards  killed  Odell. 

In  1837,  one  of  the  Anderson's  guarded  a  large  number  of  horses  with  their 
bridles  and  saddles,  stolen  in  Louisiana  and  was  afterwards  caught  and  killed 
in  Beecham's  field,  four  miles  east  of  Shelbyville,  on  the  Teneha. 

The    county  seat  of  Shelby  county  was  moved  from  Shelbyville  to  Center. 

A  man  named  Hillary  came  the  same  year  to  buy  land  and  had  with  him 
$1,400  in  coin,  $300  in  paper  and  a  suit  of  clothes  in  his  saddle  bags.  At  San 
Augustine,  while  he  was  asleep  at  the  tavern,  he  was  robbed  by  Willis  Watson 


9 

and  a  man  named  Mordecai.  The  men  were  arrested  and  whipped  every  day 
until  a  .confession  was  obtained  from  Mordecai,  but  the  money  was  never 
recovered.  Willis  Watson  kept  a  'ferry  a  mile  above  Loganspdrt,  on  the  Sabine 
river,  and  his  place  was  the  headquarters  of  conterfeiters  and  desperate 
characters.  He  became  so  obnoxious  to  the  citizens  of  Louisiana  that  a 
number  of  the  citizens  of  that  State  went  to  his  place  and  destroyed  it  by  fire 
in  about  the  winter  of  1838.  Watson  having  lost  his  property  left  the  country. 
He  was  then  out  of  prison  on  bail,  for  an  attempt  to  rob  Sanchez,  having  been 
arrested  before  by  me.  The  citizens  of  Louisiana  had  gone  to  his  place  to 
arrest  him  and  his  gang,  but  not  finding  him  destroyed  all  his  property.  Had 
he  remained  his  life  would  have  been  taken, 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Mexicans  and  Indians  came  to  an  understanding  in  1838  and  rebelled. 
Some  of  the  Mexicans  near  Nacogdoches  raised  a  difficulty  with  the  Texians 
during  the  summer,  before  the  preparations  were  all  complete  for  an  attack 
upon  the  Texians.  The  Indians  held  a  consultation  or  council  and  finding 
themselves  not  ready,  returned  to  their  homes  and  the  Mexicans  fled.  I  took 
my  part  in  the  suppression  of  this  attempt  at  rebellion.  An  army  was  raised 
in  Texas,  with  General  Rusk  in  command ;  Generals  Douglass  and  McLeod 
also  having  commands  under  him.  I  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  War  and 
appointed  captain  of  a  company  in  1839. 

In  1838,  a  spy  company  was  raised,  Geo.  Hanks  was  made  Captain' and  I 
First  Lieutenant.  In  the  election  for 'officers  of  this  company  Willis  Watson 
and  Shem  Harris  were  candidates  and  failing,  made  an  effort  to  rob  Sanchez  by 
forging  bills  of  sale  of  his  property.  The  company  was  on  the  march  when 
information  was  received  of  the  action  of  the  men  Watson  and  Harris.1  I  was 
at  once  detailed  to  capture  them' and  with  a  squad  of  men  rode  all  night  and 
secured  the  two  men  before  breakfast  at  Sanchez's  house  before  they  got 
possession  of  the  property.  Here  I  waited  for  Captain  Hanks  and  Lieutenant 
Roberts  to  come,  when  Captain  Timmon's  company,  from  Harrison  county  and 
Captain  Haley,  with  his  company  from  Shelby  county,  arrived.  The  three 
companies  weire  detained  here  on  detached  service.  I  received  orders  ltd  take 
the  prisoners  to  Nacogdoches.  Mayes,  a  prisoner,  through  the  influence  of 
his  friends,  was  released  at  Sanchez's  place  and  the  two  men  Watson  and  Harris 
were  conveyed  to  Nacogdo.ches  and  confined  in  prison.  They  gave  bond  and 
were  released.  I  was  then  ordered  to  arrest  John  Beecham,  Jack  Crane,  Sam 
Bruton  and  old  man  Pierce,  for  appropriating  confiscated  property.  Returning 
to  camp  I  was  sent  in  the  direction  of  Watson's  ferry,  traveling  until  late  in 
the  night,  we  camped  on  the  road  close  to  the  house  of  old  man  Pierce,  whom  we 
arrested  at  dayligh't.  Proceeding  we  .captured  Crane.  We  then  went  to 
Bruton's  on  the  Teneha,  and  he  was  absent.  At  Shelbyville  we  missed  taking 


—10— 

Beecham,  who  made  his  escape  and  returned  to  Kentucky,  and  remained  there 
seven  years,  leaving  his  family  in  Texas.  Next  day  on  our  return  march  to 
camp  we  found  and  arrested  Bruton.  Reaching  camp  we  found  the  army  had 
dispersed  without  fighting,  and  orders  left  for  us  to  disband  and  go  home.  In 
compliance  with  the  opinion  of  the  majority  of  the  command,  the  prisoners 
were  set  free  instead  of  conveying  them  to  prison  in  Nacogdoches.  I  was 
then  employed  by  the  government  of  Texas  to  return  to  the  owners  the  horses 
that  had  been  pressed  for  the  use  of  the  army. 

Immediately  after  this  Leonard  Mabbit  was  ordered  with  a  company  of 
eighty  men  to  Fort  Houston  to  protect  the  frontier.  The  Indians  harassed  his 
men  and  attacked  his  foragers.  In  one  skiirmish  the  rear  guard  had  stopped 
and  a  little  boy  son  of  Mr.  Bates,  who  had  been  killed  at  San  Augustine,  the 
boy  acting  as  courier,  were  fired  upon  by  the  Indians.  Some  of  the  men  were 
wounded.  The  boy  endeavoring  to  escape  was  chased  by  an  Indian.  The 
guns  of  both  were  empty.  The  boy  getting  far  enough  in  advance  of  the 
Indian,  dismounted  and  commenced  loading  his  gun.  The  Indian  did  the 
same,  but  the  boy  loading  firsft,  fired  and  killed  the  Indian,  and  was  rewarded 
afterwards  for  the  deed  by  a  grant  of  640  acres  of  land  from  the  Republic  of 
Texas. 

A  conspiracy  having  been  entered  into  by  the  Indians  to^  take  Fort  Houston 
and  massacre  the  people,  Captain  Mabbitt  notified  General  Rusk  who  came  at 
once  to  his  relief  with  what  force  he  could  get.  Taking  the  company  of 
Mabbitt  with  him  he  went  to  the  Kickapoo  village,  unknown  to  the  Indians, 
who  had  camped  one-half  mile  from  the  village  on  their  way  to  the  Fort.  Spies 
upon  their  camp  notified  General  Rusk  that  they  had  large  fires  of  greenwood 
and  were  cooking  for  the  trip.  The  Indians  left  and  General  Rusk  .coming  on 
camped  at  their  fires.  ,Suppoteing  the  camp  to  contain,  only  the  company  of 
Captain  Mabbitt,  the  Indians  made  an  attack,  and  the  firing  by  the  pickets  was 
kept  up  during  the  night.  The  Indians  had  bean  joined  by  forty  Mexicans,  and 
at  daylight  approached  and  attacked  the  camp.  They  stood  three  fires,  but 
surprised  by  the  presence  of  General  Rusk  they  retreated,  leaving  nine  killed, 
and  their  children  and  camp  equipage  were  scattered  along  the  line  of  their 
retreat.  Rusk  and  Mabitt  fell  back  to  the  Fort  and  sent  for  reinforcements,  as 
the  Indians  were  making  great  preparations  for  another  battle.  I  united  myself 
with  Captain  English's  company  and  marched  to  Eaton's,  where  the  Indians 
had  committed  murdejs.  Here  we  found  old  Mrs.  Eaton  and  several  children 
killed.  The  house  was  burned.  Old  Mrs.  Murchison  was  here  killed  and  her 
body  dragged  out  to  near  the  fence.  In  looking  around  ths  premises  I  found 
bloody  clothes  and  a  musket  lying  on  them.  Two  daughters  of  Mr.  Eaton, 
both  wives  of  men  named  Madden  had  been  badly  wounded  near  the  house, 
but  had  made  their  escape  and  afterwards  recovered.  I  reported  to  Colonel 
Landrum  what  I  had  found  and  that  while  absent  I  had  heard  much  firing  and 
I  was  sent  with  a  guide  and  file  of  men  to  discover  the  cause.  After  my 


—11— 

departure,  one  of  the  Maddens,  a  Mexican  and  two  other  men  in  returning, 
fired  off  their  guns  near  the  house  to  alarm  the  Indians  and  cause  them  to  leave. 
Colonel  Landrum  hearing  the  firing  and  presuming  that  I  was  attacked,  started 
with  his  men  to  my  relief  and  went  so  far  that  he  could  not  return  the  same 
night.  I,  with  my  party,  went  in  the  direction  of  the  house  of  a  widow  and 
arriving  there  found  the  house  deserted.  In  the  road,  near  the  house,  we  saw 
tracks  of  a  horse  and  mule  that  had  been  in  full  run,  and  concluding  from  this 
sign  that  Indians  were  in  our  rear,  Forsythe  and  I  turned  back,  when  we  met 
many  of  Rusk's  men  coming  up  in  disorder.  We  went  to  General  Rusk  and 
had  a  council,  when  General  Rusk  sent  orders  to  Colonel  Landrum  giving 
directions  as  to  his  future  action.  We  remained  at  Eaton's  about  a  week. 
There  being  tool  few  to  maintain  a  full  guard,  the  sentinels  stood  at  their  stations 
the  full  time  without  relief.  I  took  my  own  station  at  a  point  I  believed  to  be 
the  most  liable  to  attack  by  the  savages.  It  was  in  thick  timber,  and  when  all 
was  still  I  heard  an  Indian  cross  the  field  fence  within  fifty  or  sixty  yards  of  my 
position.  The  night  was  starlight,  too  dark  to  distinguish  anything  clearly, 
and  I  could  only  discover  his  movements  by  the  sound  of  his  footsteps  in  the 
leaves.  He  went  to  a  tree  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  fence,  stopped, 
then  another  crossed  the  fence,  then  the  first  advanced  and  the  se,cond  at  the 
same  time  moved  up  and  took  the  position  vacated  by  the  first,  each  getting  to 
his  position  about  the  same  time.  When  the  two  made  a  stop  a  third  crossed 
the  fence  and  all  three  commenced  walking.  I  could  h.ear  them  distinctly. 
The  Indian  in  front  was  going  in  the  direction  of  the  post  occupied  by  Lieut. 
Dick  English.  When  he  had  approached  very  near,  Lieutenant  English  called 
to  one  Hoof,  sergeant  of  the  guard,  to  come  to  his  relief  as  he  was  very  cold. 
This  gave  the  alarm  to  the  enemy  and  they  were  seen  or  heard  no  more  that 
night. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

We  now  moved  down  to  M,urchison's  and  remained  there  about  a  week  and 
occupied  the  time  in  scouting  for  Indians  but  we  found  none.  We  were  here 
joined  by  Gen.  Felix  Houston  and  staff,  who  remained  with  us  during  the  balance 
of  our  time  in  the  field.  We  next  took  up  the  march  to  Neches  Saline,  and  on 
the  way  were  joined  by  Gen.  Rusk  with  his  command.  The  indians  made  their 
headquarters  five  miles  south  of  Neches  Saline,  and  had  killed,  robbed  and 
taken  prisoners  many  persons.  We  had  reached  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Saline 
and  were  preparing  to  camp  when  our  spies  gave  information  of  the  Indians  at 
the  Saline.  We  formed  line  of  battle  eight  deep  and  hurried  to'  the  Saline  and 
attacked  the  Indians.  Before  the  presence  of  the  Indians  was  reported  to 
us  two  of  our  men  killed  an  Indian  boy  and  a  leading  Indian  called  Captain 
Jack.  The  Indians  retreated  immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the  main  body  of 
our  army.  A  few  (5)  Indians  were  killed  in  skirmishes  with  our  spies.  No 


—12— 

general  battle  tock  place.  Another  party  of  Indians  visited  Martin's  on  Tram- 
mel's Trace,  between  the  Saline  and  Sabine.  Their  sign  had  been  discovered  in 
the  evening,  and  the  dogs  of  the  neighborhood  gave  notice  of  their  presence. 
Many  signal  smokes  were  seen;  the  Indians  were  numerous  and  their  yells  could 
be  heard  all  around  us.  I  was  selected  to  stand  guard  nearest  the  enemy 
and  my  counsel  was  followed  in  the  arrangement  of  the  guard.  Martin 
had  moved  his  family  and  was  preparing  to  take  away  his  moveable  pro- 
perty, and  in  company  with  a  man  named  Davis,  he  went  during  the  night  a 
mile  from  the  house  to  watch  for  Indians.  Immediately  upon  their  return  Davis 
went  to  the  door  of  the  house  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  barking  of  the  dogs, 
when  he  was  shot  by  an  Indian.  He  crawled  under  the  floor  of  the  house,  died 
there,  and  was  not  discovered  by  the  savages.  The  Indians  then  attacked  the 
house  and  fired  into  a  back  room  occupied  at  the  time  by  a  man  named  May, 
his  wife  and  child.  May  ran  and  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder;  his  wife  hid 
herself  and  child  in  the  room  and  were  not  discovered,  although  the  child  was 
slightly  wounded.  David  Brown,  the  surveyor,  was  in  the  house,  and  ran,  leav- 
ing his  instruments,  saddle-bags  and  horse ;  the  Indians  carried  them  off.  Margin 
loaded  his  wagon  to  leave,  and  while  loading  set  a  tin  box  containing  his  money 
on  the  top  of  the  goods  in  the  wagon,  it  was  stolen  by  May's  wife  and  never 
recovered.  The  Indians  made  a  rapid  retreat  to  Neches  Saline. 

One  morning,  when  the  Texian  army  was  in  .camp  at  Bard's  some  twelve 
or  fifteen  boys  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  went  'unarmed  with  their  horses  about 
two  hundred  vards  to  water;  they  discovered  the  Indians  and  immediately  raised 
a  wild  yell  and  charged  them;  the  Indians  ran  and  in  their  flight  dropped  Davis' 
hat.  Col.  Landrum  sent  a  scout  after  the  Indians  who  were  not  overtaken,  but 
pursued  so  closely  that  Brown's  surveying  instruments,  &c.,  were  recovered. 

We  moved  from  our  camp,  and  as  the  spies  were  unsuccessful  in  finding  the 
camp  of  the  Indians,  one  hundred  men  were  sent  out  to  make  the  discovery, 
which  they  did  in  a  very  short  time.  The  Indian  camp  consisted  of  seventeen 
lodges,  constructed  of  palmetto,  well  fitted  for  winter  protection,  and  they  had  in 
store  some  seventy-five  or  eighty  bushels  of  shelled  corn.  Upon  our  return  a 
squad  of  men  was  detailed  to  go  to  Keeler  and  Williams',  where  a  late  massacre 
had  been  committed,  and  bury  the  dead.  It  was  fifteen  miles  from  where  we 
were,  and  although  I  was  not  well,  I  went  on  the  expedition,  leaving  a  man 
from  Nacogdoches  county  named  Stephens  to  occupy  my  pla.ce  as  captain  of  the 
scout.  Our  quartermaster,  Dr.  Cannon,  accompanied  me.  Arriving  at  the  scene 
of  the  murders  we  found  two  members  of  the  Williams  family  dead  and  two  of 
the  family  of  Keeler.  Indian  sign  was  thick  and  fresh.  The  dead  were  found 
and  placed  in  boxes  and  we  returned  to  our  camp.  Here  we  found  everything 
in  disorder;  Stephens  permitting  the  men  to  do  as  they  pleased  and  durjng  our 
absence  had  accomplished  nothing.  I  resumed  command  of  the  scout.  We 
then  buried  the  dead  and  from  that  place  went  to  Keeler's  and  found  all  gone. 
We  then  proceeded  to  Still's  for  information ;  unable  to  ascertain  anything  posi- 


—13— 

tively  we  returned  to  the  camp  of  the  main  army,  only  to  find  it  deserted  and  the 
army  removed  twelve  miles,  and  to  reach  it  occupied  us  until  late  in  the  night. 
The  next  day  we  returned  to  Shelbyville,  having  received  furloughs  for  fourteen 
days. 

Having  received  information  that  the  Indians  had  separated  and  that  the 
Caddos  had  gone  to  Soda  Lake,  fifteen  miles  from  Shreveport,  in  Louisiana. 
Col.  Landrum  and  Gen.  Rusk,  with  their  commands,  went  to  that  place,  but  the 
Indians  retreated  to  Shreveport  and  nothing  was  done.  This  action  of  Landrum 
and  Rusk — pursuing  the  enemy  upon  the  soil  of  the  United  States' — was  report- 
ed to  the  authorities  in  Washington,  when  Gen.  Gaines  of  the  U.  S.  Army  was 
ordered  to  return  to  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  and  the  Caddo  Indians  received 
orders  to.  leave  the  United  States.  They  retired  to  Mexico  where  they  remained 
until  the  war  took  place  between  that  country  and  the  United  States,  when  they 
went  to  Western  Texas,  and  uniting  with  remnants  of  other  tribes,  settled  upon 
a  reservation  granted  them  by  the  United  States. 

In  1838  Henry  Cannon,  a  citizen  of  Shelby  county,  owned  a  fine  mare  which 
was  stolen  by  Jim  Strickland,  who  started  to  return  with  her  by  a  trail  not  much 
known  or  traveled,  between  the  flat  fork  of  the  Teneha  and  Sabine  river.  Ben 
Odell,  happening  to  be  traveling  on  the  same  trail,  met  Strickland  and  recognized 
the  mare.  As  he  was  unfriendly  to  Strickland  and  going  in  the  direction  of 
Cannon's  it  was  suspected  by  Strickland  that  Odell  would  give  information,  and 
the  mare  was  turned  loose  and  she  returued  to  Cannon's  shortly  after  Odell's 
arrival  there.  Cannon  had  been  enformed  by  Odell  that  Strickland  was  in  pos- 
session of  his  mare,  and  he  (Strickland)  learning  the  fact,  threatened  the  life  of 
Odell.  Soon  after  a  dinner  was  given  to  the  citizens  of  Shelby  county  by  one 
of  the  candidates  for  the  place  of  representative  in  the  Texas  Congress.  Strick- 
land with  his  friends,  on  the  way  to  it,  were  met  by  Odell,  who  made  his  escape 
by  running.  On  his  retreat  he  met  with  Forsythe  and  party,  who  were  opposed 
to  Strickland,  by  them  he  was  supplied  with  a  pistol  and  induced  to  return. 
Supper  over,  and  the  night  coming  on,  dancing  commenced.  Strickland  and 
Odell  went  on  the  floor  to  dance  at  the  same  time,  and  both  intended  shooting 
as  they  passed,  each  having  his  pistol  against  the  other.  Odell's  pistol  missed 
fire.  Strickland's  fired,  and  Odell,  after  receiving  the  wound,  knocked  Strick- 
land down  with  his  fist.  Odell  died  next  morning.  Strickland  was  arrested, 
and  there  being  no  jail,  gave  bond  for  his  appearance  at  the  next  term  of  the 
District  Court.  The  trial  was  brought  at  a  time  when  the  best  citizens  of  Shelby 
county  were  absent,  called  away  by  the  Kickapoo  war.  Three  freebooters,  Bog- 
gess,  Thomas  and  Dr.  Rowan,  arrested  for  counterfeiting,  were  to  be  tried  at  the 
same  term  of  the  court,  and  by  a  combination  of  the  friends  of  all  these  parties, 
the  whole  of  them  were  acquitted. 

"The  four  assassins  hired  at  Austin  to  go  to  Shelby  county  and  murder 
seventeen  men,  were  Seekers.  Wm.  Wells,  York  and  Hines,  and  employed  by 
Jno.  N.  Bradley  and  Jno.  Haley.  They  came  and  commenced  operations.  Jim 
Hall  offered  six  hundred  dollars  to  them  to  kill  Henry  Reynolds,  &c." 


—14— 


CHAPTER   V. 

In  the  summer  of  1839  the  Cherokees  became  hostile  and  resolved  to  fight* 
The  army  was  called  out  and  I  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  board  of  war. 
I  received  a  commission  as  captain  and  orders  to  raise  a  company,  guard  the 
Sabine  river  from  Logansport  to  Trammers  Trace  and  to  prevent  the  Cherokees 
from  being  supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition  by  other  Indians  and  Mexicans. 
I  was  also  appointed  Commissioner  for  Shelby  county,  to  take  charge  of  all  con- 
fiscated property,  prevent  its  removal  or  destruction  and  turn  it  over  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  Texas.  I  had  only  ten  men.  I  placed  eight  on  the  road  from  Lo- 
gansport to  Nacogdoches,  and  taking  Josh  English  and  John  May,  went  to  Tram- 
mel's Trace  to  make  observations.  On  the  way  I  met  with  a  man  named  Rob- 
ertson. This  man  had  joined  the  Mexicans  in  the  rebellion  with  the  hope  of 
obtaining  office.  Failing  to  obtain  promotion  he  became  dissatisfied  and  made 
his  escape.  Knowing  the  plans  of  the  Mexicans  and  their  conspiracies  with  the 
Indians  and  their  intention  to  raid  upon  the  Texan  people,  he  communicated  the 
information  to  General  Burleson,  who  at  once  followed  the  Mexicans  from  whom 
Robertson  had  deserted  and  killed  them  all,  and  from  the  information  of  Robert- 
son was  enabled  to  overtake  Juan  Flores,  who  was  coming  with  nine  mule-loads 
of  presents  for  the  Indians.  The  band  was  attacked,  all  killed  and  the  train 
captured.  Robertson  proved  of  great  assistance  as  a  spy,  being  acquainted 
with  the  language  of  the  different  tribes  of  Indians  and  thus  able  to  go  among 
them  and  learn  their  numbers  and  intentions.  He  rendered  effective  service  by 
going  among  the  Cherokees,  learning  their  designs  and  reporting  them,  the 
night  before  the  battle  in  which  Chief  Bowles  was  killed.  After  this  Robertson 
went  to  his  home  in  Shelby  county,  to  visit  his  family,  his  residence  being  in  the 
neighborhood  where  the  Strickland's  lived.  Here  he  was  set  upon  by  his 
enemies,  the  Strickland's  and  others  with  whom  he  had  previously  had 
difficulties,  and  brutally  murdered.  As  soon  as  I  was  informed  of  the  affair  I 
returned,  recovered  his  property  and  delivered  it  to  his  family.  Robertson's 
body  had  been  buried  by  Colonel  Straw  before  my  arrival.  When  the  army 
returned  and  Henry  Strickland  found  what  had  been  'done,  he  declared  his 
intention  to  kill  me  and  came  armed  to  the  house  of  Josh  English  where  I  was. 
I  was  engaged  in  hauling  corn  and  while  unloading  the  wagon  Strickland  and 
English  entered  into  conversation  at  the  fence,  near  me.  I  was  apprehensive 
of  an  attack,  but  time  passed  and  I  was  not  molested,  and  not  again  disturbed 
by  this  man.  Finally  he  was  killed  in  a  personal  difficulty  with  one  Shoemaker. 


—15— 

CHAPTER   VI. 

With  these  adventures  and  troubles  with  the  Mexicans  and  Indians,  nothing 
more  transpired  to  call  us  from  home  until  the  disturbances  in  Shelby,  Panola 
and  Harrison  counties,  which  created  great  excitement  at  the  time  and  have 
become  a  part  of  the  history  of  Texas.  Authors  of  Texian  history  have,  in 
some  instances  passed  them  over  almost  without  notice.  By  others  mention 
has  been  made  of  them  in  such  manner  as  to  give  a  wrong  color  and  others 
have  made  statements  inconsistent  with  the  facts,  and  in  no  instance  has  a 
complete,  full  and  fair  statement  been  made  of  the  whole  matter.  And  as  one 
of  the  principal  actors  in  the  scenes  and  as  my  memory  is  vivid  as  to  all  the 
transactions,  I  have  seen  proper  to  recount  them,  and  where  any  statement  of 
mine  may  seen  doubtful  or  be  disputed,  there  are  living  witnesses  of  high 
character  and  standing  in  Texas,  to  whom  I  shall  refer,  if  necessary,  to  sustain 
my  every  assertion. 

In  1838,  two  men,  large  traders,  by  the  name  of  Rathburn,  from  Buffalo, 
New  York,  had  been  swindled,  by-  some  company  there,  out  of  a  fortune.  The 
estate  had  been  obtained  through  the  wife  of  the  younger  of  the  two  men,  and 
he  came  to  Texas  to  secure  what  remained  to  his  family.  He  made  a  confiden- 
tial friend  of  Seth  Shelton  and  placed  the  property  in  his  hands,  consisting  in 
negroes,  money  and  whatever  else  he  had  brought  to  Texas.  He  came  to  Texas 
under  the  name  of  Brewster,  and  in  company  with  a  young  man  named  McLure 
and  John  McKinney,  who  were  privy  to  the  contract  with  Shelton.  E.  M. 
Dagget,  of  Fort  Worth  and  others,  came  to  Texas  in  the  same  company. 
Brewster  bought  a  large  quanity  of  land,  was  taken  sick  and  died  at  Shelton's 
Shelton  determined  to  secure  this  property  for  himself.  McLure  and  McKinney 
were  the  only  persons  who  could  identify  the  property  of  Brewster,  and  to 
secure  his  object  the  witnesses  must  be  removed,  and  so  both  were  killed  by 
The  killing  of  McLure  took  place  as  follows:  He  was  clerking  in  a  store 
on  the  Sabine  river,  the  two  men  went  there  and  raised  a  difficulty  with  him, 
not  getting  any  advantage  of  him  on  that  day.  Next  day  they  returned  to  the 
store  and  entered  in  seeming  good  humor,  laughing  and  talking;  McLure  had 
his  gun  in  his  hand,  but  thrown  off  his  guard  by  their  conduct,  set  it  down, 
when  McFadgin  sprang  to  one  side,  revealing  Jim  Strickland,  who  instantly 
fired,  killing  McLure  before  he  could  recover  his  weapon.  They  then  defied  the 
law  and  resisted  arrest. 

About  this  time  a  difficulty  arose  between  Jo  Goodbread  and  Charles  W. 
Jackson.  Goodbread  had  been  waylaying  Jackson.  After  this  they  met  in 
Shelby ville,  when  the  trouble  was  renewed  and  Jackson  fired  and  killed  Good- 
bread.  Jackson  surrendered  to  the  authorities,  moved  his  trial  to  Panola  county 
and  was  acquitted.  When  he  went  to  Panola  a  crowd  also  went  for  the  purpose 
of  assassinating  him,  but  his  guard  was  too  great  and  the  effort  was  a  failure 
The  men  who  had  gone  with  and  protected  Jackson,  then  went  to  the  houses  of 
Strickland  and  McFadgin,  and  not  being  able  to  capture  the  men,  as  they  were 
absent,  they  removed  the  furnitnre  from  the  houses  and  destroyed  them  by  fire. 


;  —16— 

The  session  of  the  District  Court  held  at  this  time  in  Panola  county  by 
Judge  Hansford  was  adjourned  in  consequence  of  the  imminent  danger  arising 
from  the  presence  of  these  two  parties.  It  was  after  this  time  the'  trial  and 
acquittal  of  Jackson  took  place. 

An  old  man  by  the  name  of  Carr  was  a  resident  of  the  county.  He  was  a 
Mexican  and  had  two  sons-in-law,  who  were  white  men — Stockman  and  Norris. 
Carr  had  befriended  the  whites  and  rendered  his  full  share  of .  assistance  in 
every  disturbance  with  the  Indians  and  Mexicans.  He  had  large  property  in 
cattle,  horses,  &c,  and  the  Freebooters  stole  a  number  of  his  horses  and  mules. 
At  a  public  dinner,  given  by  Charles  Jackson  for  the  purpose  of  assembling  the 
people  and  making  an  effort  to  recover  the  stolen  property,  a1  company  of 
sixty-three  men  was  made  and  a  day  appointed  for;  the  meeting  of  the  company, 
but  only  twenty-three  men  came  and  they  went  in  pursuit.  A  man  called 
'Squire  Humphreys  was  caught  and  whipped  and  part  of  the  horses  and  mules 
recovered.  The  Freebooters  now  met  and  organized  by  the  election  of  officers. 
Ned  Merchant  was  elected  captain,  and  one  Judge  Hawkins  being  called  upon, 
gave  them  the  name  of  Moderators.  They  watched  for  an  opportunity  to  kill 
Jackson.  As  he  was  going  from  Shelbyville  to  Logansport  he  was  met  about 
12  M.  by  Jonathan  McFadgin  and  soon  after  by  Berry  Merchant,  who  gave 
information  to  Ned  Merchant  who  raised  a  company  of  fifty-five  men  and  went 
after  him.  Two  days  before  M.  F.  Roberts  and  Emory  Raines,  candidates  for 
representatives  in  the  Texas  Congress,  addressed  the  people  and  passed  the 
night  at  my  house.  Raines  was  uneasy  that  night  and  wished  to  see  McFadgin 
and  Strickland  and  offered  to  go  to  Josh  English's,  but  was  persuaded  to  remain. 
Next  niorning  very  early  he  went  to  English's.  There  he  met  in  caucus  with 
Jack  Crane,  'Squire  Humphreys,  Jim  Strickland,  Harry  Strickland,  Bill  Baily, 

John  McFadgin,  Sam  Todd  and  Bledsoe.     They  went  to  Logansport  and 

waylaid  Jackson.  The  party  took  three  stands  and  placed  themselves  at  the 
forks  of  the  road  between  Shelbyville  and  Nacogdoches.  A  peaceable,  quiet 
Dutchman,  by  the  name  of  Lower,  was  in  company  with  Jackson,  and  on 
account  of  his  presence,  the  first  stand  was  passed.  As  they  approached  the 
second  Lower  was  shot  and  Jackson  ran,  but  was  fired  upon  and  killed.  This 
took  place  in  1841.  As  soon  as  Merchant  arrived  at  English's,  Raines, 
Merchant  and  the  company  of  fifty-five  men  went  to  McFadgin's  and  guarded 
the  place  to  protect  the  men  who  had  killed  Jackson  and  Lower.  They  hid 
themselves  in  a  thicket  and  signified  their  wants  or  danger  of  discovery  by 
signals. 

At  this  time  the  Sheriff  of  Shelby  county  fearing  danger  to  his  life,  want 
to  Nacogdoches  and  remained  two  or  three  months,  and  I  received  an  appoint- 
ment as  his  deputy.  I  had  made  an  arrangement  to  exchange  lands  with  John 
H.  Martin,  and  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  go  to  King's  Fork  of  the  East 
Trinity  river  to  examine  the  land,  and  the  trip  I  was  about  to  make  becoming 
known,  a  plan  was  laid  to  waylay  me.  I  had  but  just  received  warning  of  my 
danger  when  I  was  called  upon  and  authorized  to  make  the  arrest  of  Bill,  John 


—17— 

and  Baily  McFadgin,  whq  were  moving  awiay  with  their  families.  Bledsoe  was 
with  them.  I  was  accompanied  by  nine  men,  under  my  command:  Col.  Wat 
Morman,  Col.  Jno.  E.  Myrick,  Tom  Josy,  Sam  Wallace,  Frank  Hooper,  Monroe 
Hooper,  James  Vaughan  and  Lee  Truitt.  We  started  in  pursuit  but  had  to 
take  a  circuitous  route  to  avoid  the  clan.  We  went  across  the  Neches  and  in 
the  direction  of  Crockett.  We  surprised  Strickland  in  his  camp  near  the 
residence  of  "One  Eyed  Williams,"  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Crockett,  but  he 
made  his  escape  in  a  thicket.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  night  we  heard  signals 
in  the  thicket  and  at  the  jcamp.  Strickland  did  not  return  to  the  wagon  and  we 
rode  to  the  camp  and  gave  orders  to  Smith,  the  driver  of  the  team,  to  leave, 
which  he  did,  and  the  team  was  afterwards  driven  by  the  woman.  We  went 
on  to  AHbright's  and  stopped  for  supper  and  to  feed  our  horses.  While  there 
Williams  and  Strickland  came  up.  The  alarm  was  given  and  they  turned  to 
run  and  were  fired  upon  by  Colonel  Myrick.  Strickland  was  wounded  by  one 
shot  in  the  shoulder  and  a  finger  cut.  At  the  fire  of  the  gun  Strickland  ran 
over  Williams,  who  lost  his  gun.  Williams  hid  himself  in  a  ditch  where  we 
found  and  arrested  him,  but  Strickland  made  his  escape,  by  lying  upon  the  side 
of  his  horse  as  he  ran  around  the  lots.  This  occurred  just  as  the  moon  was 
rising.  Strickland  threw  away  his  gun  and  I  found  it  and  also  found  the  gun 
belonging  to  Williams.  We  took  Williams  in  charge  and  induced  him  to  give 
us  information  in  regard  to  the  McFadgins  and  to  guide  us  to  where  they  were. 
Under  his  lead  we  found  and  arrested  the  McFadgins.  We  found  them  a  mile 
south  of  the  town  of  Montgomery  at  the  house  of  Alex.  Whittaker.  We  left 
Williams  in  charge  of  the  horses  and  surrounded  the  house.  McNeil,  sheriff 
of  the  county  was  living  there,  and  at  the  time  in  bed  with  John  McFadgin. 
When  I  went  around  the  house  I  found  it  barred  up.  Baily  and  Bill  McFadgin 
were  also  in  the  house.  Bail  having  a  few  minutes  before  ran  and  closed  up  the 
door.  I  found  a  window  unfastened,  but  before  I  could  get  it  open  it  was 
latched  against  me.  At  this  time  McNeil  came  to  me,  told  who  he  was  and 
offered  his  services  to  get  a  guard  and  assist  in  the  arrest.  We  went  to  the 
town  of  Montgomery  to  get  the  necessary  authority  from  the  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  were  delayed  by  the  absence  of  the  Justice.  During  our  absence 
Bledsoe  came  up  in  company  with  Bowlin;  on  discovering  him,  Myrick  and 
Frank  Hooper  ordered  him  to  halt  and  surrender,  when  he  sprang  upon  them 
both  and  came  near  wresting  their  guns  from  them;  in  the  melee  Myricks  gun 
was  broken  and  Hooper  shot  Bledsoe,  but  did  no  serious  injury.  Bledsoe  had 
taken  Hooper's  gun  from  him  and  was  in  the  act  of  striking  him  with  it,  when 
Myrick  again  fired  and  slightly  wounded  Bledsoe.  He  was  then  shot  and  killed 
by  Jim  Vaughan.  The  McFadgins  in  the  house  were  now  called  upon  to 
surrender,  and  after  some  consultation,  they  complied  upon  the  understanding 
that  they  were  to  be  taken  safely  to  Shelby  county  and  tried  by  the  citizens,  a 
majority  to  rule,  and  they  were  not  to  be  rescued  or  make  any  effort  at  escape 
They  were  then  taken  into  custody. 


—18— 
CHAPTER  VII. 

On  our  way  to  this  place,  where  the  capture  was  made,  we  found  an  entire 
captain's  company  assembled  to  protect  these  men,  but  we  passed  through  their 
ranks,  and  by  our  rapid  movements  and  silence  so  confused  them  that  we  were 
suffered  to  pass  and  get  entirely  clear  without  molestation.  We  started  on  our 
return,  and  arriving  in  the  town  of  Cro.ckett,  found  that  Strickland  had  procured 
a  writ  to  be  issued  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  sheriff  for  the  arrest  of 
Morman,  myself  and  three  others,  who  were  not  with  us,  but  supposed  to  be 
part  of  our  posse.  The  sheriff  commenced  summoning  a  body  of  men  to  assist 
in  our  apprehension,  but  on  proper  representations  from  a  man  acquainted  with 
us,  came  alone  to  us,  told  his  business,  when  we  surrendered  to  him  and 
returned  into  the  town  of  Crockett.  We  sent  an  officer  with  a  writ  for  the  arrest 
of  Jim  Strickland,  who  was  six  miles  from  town.  The  town  was  full  of  people. 
We  exhibited  our  authority  to  them  and  told  our  business,  but  we  found  a  large 
majority  opposed  to  us — only  about  one-fourth  being  in  our  favor.  One 
Josephus  Moore  attempted  to  create  the  impression  that  he  was  our  friend,  but 
after  looking  well  at  him,  I  decided  that  he  could  not  be  depended  upon.  A 
trial  was  demanded  at  once  and  without  waiting  for  the  man,  Strickland,  who 
had  caused  our  detention.  During  the  progress  of  the  trial  I  observed  that  a 
great  many  guns  were  brought  up  to  the  room  in  which  the  trial  was  had,  and 
afterwards  learned  that  an  effort  was  to  be  made  there  to  take  my  life.  A  diffi- 
culty was  to  have  been  commenced  and  twenty-four  guns  were  ready  to  be  used 
against  me  alone.  As  I  left  the  room  I  was  accosted  by  a  man  whose 
business  it  was  to  begin  or  bring  on  the  difficulty.  Col.  Morman  drew  his  atten- 
tion from  me,  and  I  was  then  accosted  by  a  man  named  Clapp.  These  men, 
leaving  us,  ran  across  the  street  to  Moor's  tavern,  and  I  mounted  my  horse  stand- 
ing at  the  door,  and  here  also  were  my  prisoners  and  guard,  and  by  a  concerted 
movement  we  wheeled  our  horses  and  placed  the  prisoners  between  us  and  the 
tavern  where  their  friends  were  stationed,  and  went  rapidly  out  of  town.  Imme_ 
diately  a  crowd  of  sixty  men  assembled  and  followed,  but  we  traveled  faster  than 
they;  they  continued  in  pursuit  until  they  reached  the  residence  of  one-eyed 
Williams,  twenty-five  miles,  where  they  supposed  we  would  stop  for  the  night 
and  being  informed  by  him  that  we  had  passed  that  place  some  hours  before, 
they  turned  back.  We  camped  that  night  thirty-nine  miles  from  Crockett,  on 
our  return  to  Shelby  county.  We  met  with  no  more  trouble,  and  on  my  arrival 
I  sent  out  five  men  to  notify  the  people  to  be  in  Shelbyville  on  the  ensuing  Sat- 
erday  at  twelve  o'clock,  M.  Next  morning  we  went  to  the  widow  Moore's  for 
breakfast,  when  we  were  visited  by  many  citizens,  and  there  being  men  enough 
to  relieve  the  old  guard,  the  prisoners  were  placed  under  their  charge,  and  we 
were  advised  to  take  our  needed  rest.  The  new  guard  becoming  careless  and 
too  confident,  presented  an  opportunity  and  John  McFadgin  attempted  to  make 
his  escape,  and  ran  some  distance,  but  I  overtook  him  in  the  bed  of  a  branch 
near  by  and  brought  him  back.  Again  Bill  McFadgin  seeing  what  he'  supposed 


—19— 

a  chance  to  get  away,  relieved  himself  of  his  chains  and  ran,  and  after  a  lively 
chase  through  the  cane  and  timber,  finding  it  impossible  to  escape  his  pursuers, 
surrendered.  We  started  to  Shelbyville  and  on  the  way  were  met  by  a  company 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  men  who  formed  our  escort  to  town. 
The  prisoners  were  carried  to  the  town  of  Shelbyville,  and  there,  on 
Saturday  at  12  o'clock,  M.  the  citizens  met  in  the  Court  House  for  their  trial, 
it  being  the  9th  day  of  October,  1841.  Previous  to  this  time,  at  the  re-capture 
of  the  two  men,  they  made  full  confession,  and  the  third  did  the  same,  each  con- 
fessing in  the  absence  of  the  others  and  ignorant  of  what  had  been  said  by  them. 
Each  made  the  same  statement  and  narrated  all  the  circumstances  of  the  killing 
of  Jackson  and  Lower,  and  these  confessions  were  afterwards  repeatedly  con- 
firmed by  them.  On  this  testimony  the  citizens  acted,  and  upon  taking  the  vote 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four  were  found  to  have  voted  for  their  execution  and 
none  against  it.  The  men  were  then  taken  out  and  two  of  them  executed,  the 
third  and  youngest  was  spared  upon  his  promise  of  reform  and  the  earnest  plead- 
ing of  Henry  Reynolds,  a  citizen,  whose  sympathy  was  strongly  excited.  With 
this  for  a  time  ended  excitement,  but  in  the  spring  following,  that  is  to  say  about 
March,  1842,  the  old  troubles  were  revived  by  the  return  of  some  of  the  members 
of  the  old  gang  and  their  waylaying  citizens  upon  the  public  roads  and  in  the 
woods.  Long  and  persistent  efforts  to  catch  me  at  disadvantage  had  been  made 
by  Jim  Strickland,  Henry  Strickland,  Farrar  Metcalf,  Jack  Crane,  John  Heath 
and  three  others  whose  names  I  never  learned,  and  at  last,  on  the  morning  of 
the  26th  of  March,  1842  I  went  into  the  woods  near  my  house  looking  for  my 
horses,  and  before  I  had  intimation  of  the  presence  of  any  one,  or  just  at  the 
moment  I  discovered  these  men,  who  had  concealed  themselves  here  in  the 
woods  to  deprive  me  of  life,  I  was  fired  upon  by  two  shots  at  once;  three  balls 
entered  my  hip,  two  struck  my  hand,  and  one  striking  the  powder  horn  at  my 
side  and  going  through  that  gave  me  a  flesh  wound.  Other  balls  pierced  my 
clothing  in  different  places.  I  turned  and  walking  a  few  steps  was  again  fired 
upon  by  two  persons.  I  cannot  tell  at  what  time  any  of  the  wounds  were  received 
except  the  one  in  the  hip,  which  was  given  me  at  the  first  fire.  The  assassins 
then  ran  and  I  went  to  my  house,  which  was  at  no  great  distance,  without  falling 
or  giving  way  to  weakness;  finding  my  wife  gone  in  search  of  me  I  went 
to  look  for  her;  we  soon  met  and  returned  home.  I  then  went  over  to  the 
residence  of  Nathan  Matthews  about  a  mile.  I  remained  there  two  or  three 
days.  Immediately  after  my  arrival  at  Matthews'  information  of  the  occurence 
was  sent  over  the  county,  and  before  night  fifty  men  had  assembled  armed  and 
proceeded  to  look  for  the  perpetrators.  Jack  Crane  was  arrested  and  brought 
into  my  presence  by  Elijah  Roberts,  a  son  of  Moses  F.  Roberts,  whose  energy 
and  activity  aided  materially  in  the  support  of  law  and  order. 

I  will  here  state  that  the  night  before  the  shooting  I  had  a  remarkable 
dream  by  which  I  was  warned  of  what  was  about  to  occur.  I  saw  lovely  persons 
surrounding  and  protecting  me  and  singing  the  hymn  "How  firm  a  foundation ;" 
I  joined  in  the  singing.  Other  hymns  were  sung,  and  the  last  one  sung  by  us 


—20— 

was  "Through  the  deep  waters  I  call  thee  to  go."  After  the  singing  the  appari- 
tion disappeared,  and  then  the  dream  revealed  parties  firing  upon  me,  and  the 
firing  was  from  exactly  the  same  direction  that  it  afterwards  took  place.  I 
dreamed  that  the  balls  struck  me  in  exactly  the  same  place  that  I  was  struck 
afterwards.  Many  years  before,  that  is  in  the  year  1829,  while  I  lived  in  Ten- 
nessee, long  before  I  had  any  design  of  removing  to  Texas,  I  had  the  same  dream 
precisely.  To  me  these  seemed  supernatural  warnings  and  had  their  effect  upon 
my  mind.  Whether  or  not  there  is  anything  in  dreams  I  could  not  help  regard- 
ing mine  as  peculiar  and  strange,  and  when  I  heard  the  click  of  the  gun  locks 
as  they  prepared  to  fire,  I  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  visions  and 
distinctly  saw  the  parties  as  they  fired.  I  did  not  permit  my  wounds  to  keep  me 
long  confined  to  the  house,  and  on  the  fifth  day  I  was  on  horseback  and  rode  in 
a  dark  and  stormy  night  fourteen  miles  in  search  of  the  men  who  attempted  my 
life.  I  soon  after  fell  sick  and  it  being  dangerous  and  inconvenient  for  me  to 
remain  at  my  residence,  I  went  to  Louisiana  to  the  house  of  Wm.  White,  my 
brother-in-law,  on  Wallace's  bayou,  fifteen  miles  below  Shreveport,  and  remained 
five  weeks.  I  started  back  home  and  at  Logansport  remained  one  night  to  avoid 
another  gang  lying  by  the  wayside  to  attack  me.  I  reached  home  safely.  The 
day  after  my  arrival  I  received  the  most  welcome  information  that  Jim  Strickland 
and  Farrar  Metcalf  had  both  been  lately  killed  in  Louisiana  for  negro  stealing. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

In  1841,  John  M.  Bradley  and  John  Haley,  both  residents  of  Shelby  county, 
went  to  Austin  and  there  hired  four  men,  viz:  Seekers,  Wills,  York  and  Hines 
to  go  to  Shelby  county  and  kill  seventeen  men,  and  those  the  most  prominent  in 
the  county.  For  the  life  of  Henry  Reynolds  they  were  to  receive  six  hundred 
dollars.  This  money  was  to  be  paid  by  Jim  Hall,  and  he  furnished  a  gun  for 
the  purpose.  Bradley  also  supplied  a  gun.  In  pursuance  of  this  object, 
Reynolds  was  visited  by  Seekers  and  Hines,  who  remained  one  night  at  his 
house.  The  evening  was  passed  in  conversation,  and  a  favorable  impression 
was  made  by  Reynolds  upon  Hines,  who  when  they  had  retired,  informed 
Seekers  that  he  had  found;  Reynolds  a  good  man,  different  from  what  had  been 
represented  and  that  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  his  murder,  and  he  drew 
out  of  the  gang.  Hines  was  never  after  heard  of.  After  this  Seekers  and  Wells 
went  to  Reynolds'  house  designing  to  commit  the  deed,  but  learning  that  Rey- 
nolds was  going  to  Shreveport  with  cotton,  the  commission  of  the  act  was  post- 
poned. At  each  visit  to  the  house  of  Reynolds  these  men  represented  themselves 
as  horse  hunters.  In  a  few  days  after  the  last  visit,  Reynolds  with  one  of  his 
sons  and  a  negro  boy,  started  to  Shreveport  with  his  cotton,  and  stopped  to 
camp  about  fifteen  miles  from  his  home.  While  arranging  for  the  night,  the 
two  men,  Seekers  and  Wells,  passed  and  were  recognized  by  Reynolds'  son, 
who  informed  his  father  that  they  were  the  men  who  had  been  to  his  house 
horse-hunting.  Reynolds  called  to  them  and  asked  if  they  had  found  their 


—21— 

horses,  when  they  rode  back  and  commenced  talking.  Reynolds  was  lying  at 
the  foot  of  a  post  oak  resting  his  elbow  on  the  ground.  Seekers  sat  on  his 
horse  with  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  pointing  at  Reynolds.  After  conversing  a 
short  time  he  said  they  must  ride  on  to  reach  some  place  to  stay  that  night  and 
at  the  same  time,  reining  his  horse  around,  fired,  shooting  Reynolds  through  the 
left  breast,  killing  him  instantly.  Seekers  and  Wills  then  ran.  In  running, 
Wills'  horse  struck  a  tree,  knocking  him  off  and  losing  his  gun,  and  there  they 
separated.  On  information  of  the  death  of  Reynolds  the  trail  was  taken  next 
morning  by  Steve  Reynolds,  Frank  Hooper,  David  Winburn  and  another.  Wills' 
gun  was  found  and  his  trail  followed  to  Louts',  in  the  direction  of  Natchitoches 
about  twenty-five  miles  from  the  place  of  murder.  Here  Wills  was  found,  and 
after  some  demonstrations  of  Tesistance  on  his  part,  he  surrendered.  He  was 
taken  to  Matthew  Brinson's  four  miles  east  of  Shelbyville,  and  there  the  guard 
was  increased  to  twelve  men.  Parson  Blackburn  wus  employed  to  erect  a  gal- 
lows on  the  square  in  the  town,  and  the  next  day  the  prisoner  was  conveyed  to 
the  place  of  execution.  He  made  a  full  confession  of  the  crime,  who  had  em- 
ployed the  gang,  and  what  pay  was  to  be  received.  After  which  the  execution 
took  place  in  the  presence  of  a  large  crowd.  Nothing  definite  was  ever  after 
learned  of  the  man  Seekers.  Hall's  gun  was  recovered,  having  been  pawned 
to  pay  the  ferriage  of  Seekers  across  the  Sabine. 

A  writ  for  the  arrest  of  the  twelve  men  who  had  executed  Wills  was  caused 
to  be  issued  by  John  M.  Bradley  and  John  Doyle.  The  writ  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Llewellin  the  sheriff  and  his  deputy  Jeff  Cravens.  They  summoned 
three  hundred  men  to  their  assistance  and  went  into  camp.  The  twelve  refused 
to  be  arrested,  but  said  they  would  attend  the  District  Court  and  submit.  The 
friends  of  the  twelve  men  sustained  them  in  their  decision,  and  in  two  days 
enough  men  were  gathered  for  their  protection,  and  the  sheriff  was  then  notified 
that  they  were  ready,  and  if  a  fight  was  desired  they  were  prepared.  An  armis- 
tice of  two  days  was  obtained  by  the  Sheriff,  and  during  that  time  an  agreement 
was  entered  into  that  a  committee  of  twenty-four  men  should  decide  the  matters 
of  difference  between  the  parties,  and  that  the  committee  should  be  composed  of 
men  belonging  equally  to  both  parties,  that  is  to  say,  twelve  men  from  each  side. 
They  met  and  after  deliberation  rendered  their  decision  that  the  Sheriff  Llewellin 
and  his  deputy,  together  with  twenty-three  others  of  the  most  prominent  of  that 
party  were  to  leave  the  Republic  and  never  become  citizens  again.  They  were 
given  two  months  to  wind  up  their  business  and  permitted  to  return  temporarily 
on  business  matters,  but  could  not  become  citizens.  Messengers  were  sent  to 
notify  them.  These  were  often  attacked,  some  wounded  and  some  had  their  horses 
killed.  Instead  of  leaving  the  Republic,  as  they  were  directed,  these  men  went 
to  work  to  raise  forces,  and  at  the  expiration  of  the  two  months  they  were  ready 
to  commence  fighting.  It  was  planned  that  at  the  same  hour  of  the  night,  seven- 
teen citizens,  who  had  been  selected,  were  to  be  killed,  and  afterwards  the  mem- 
bers of  the  commitee  were  to  be  disposed  of  in  the  same  way.  To  raise  their 


—22— 

men  they  had  sent  to  Arkansas  and  Louisiana.  A  company  of  Arkansas  men 
were  camped  six  miles  from  me,  on  what  was  known  as  the  Rogue's  Trail. 
They  were  to  kill  me  and  Howell  Hudson.  A  friend  of  Hudson  named  Elijah 
Morris  gave  him  information  two  days  before  of  what  was  to  be  done  and  ad- 
vised him  to  leave.  Hudson  then  saw  Stiles  and  talked  with  him  on  the  subject. 
Stiles  went  into  the  camp  and  there  learned  that  the  information  was  correct. 
Next  night  Stiles,  Howell,  Hudson,  Peter  Hudson,  Washington  Hooper,  Daniel 
Wiseman  and  Dick  Harding  came  to  my  house  and  took  me  away.  I  had  a 
rising  on  my  hip  from  my  wounds  and  unable  to  travel  without  help.  They 
placed  me  on  the  road  to  intercept  the  spy  of  the  moderators  that  night,  but  he 
never  came.  The  track  of  the  horse  belonging  to  this  spy  was  seen  near  the 
house  of  every  man  who  had  been  selected  by  the  moderators  to  be  killed,  but 
the  name  of  the  spy,  or  who  he  was,  was  never  discovered. 

My  family  left  home  that  night.  The  gang  came  and  broke  open  the  doors; 
finding  no  one  they  became  alarmed  and  went  into  the  Teneha  swamp.  They 
got  into  the  edge  of  the  cane  at  the  flat  fork  of  the  Teneha,  and  as  day  came  the 
order  was  "a  little  further  into  the  cane,"  and  they  edged  and  pushed  each  other 
until  Jonas  English  and  John  Mays  fell  into  a  deep  hole  of  water  in  the  creek. 
They  kept  in  the  swamp  and  nothing  was  heard  of  them  for  two  weeks;.  The 
night  they  sought  me  they  went  after  others,  but  failed  in  every  instance.  Squads 
were  near  the  house  of  every  marked  man  at  the  same  hour  of  the  same  night, 
in  pursuance  of  the  original  design,  to  murder  all  the  selected  men  at  the  same 
moment,  but  they  failed  in  every  instance.  Then  all  got  together,  two  hundred 
strong,  armed  and  fully  equipped,  and  charged  into  the  town  of  Shelbyville 
making  all  the  show  and  intimidation  they  could.  They  swore  to  kill  the  com- 
mittee first,  sent  Alfred  Truit  to  Louis  Watkins'  to  kill  him;  the  mouth  of  his 
lane  towards  town  was  waylaid  with  thirty-three  men.  Watkins  started  to  town 
and  before  he  got  throngh  the  lane  was  shot  and  fell  from  his  horse.  News  of 
this  went  out,  and  next  morning  thirty-five  or  forty  men  had  assembled  at  Jerry 
Beecham's,  three  miles  northwest  of  town.  With  these  thirty-five  or  forty  men 
were  E.  M.  and  Chas.  Daggett,  Joe  Smith,  ex-sheriff  of  Shelby  county,  John  and 
Frank  Farrar,  Jim  Graham,  Geo.  Sandford  and  others.  Those  who  arrived 
during  the  night  had  built  a  fire  near  a  log  left  from  making  boards,  hearing  the 
approach  of  some  one  Capt.  Joe  Smith  and  John  Farrar  jumped  upon  the  log  to 
look  out,  and  in  endeavoring  to  recover  their  lost  balance,  the  hammer  of  a  gun 
in  the  hands  of  one  of  them  struck  the  ripping  machine  and  fired,  the  ball  going 
through  the  hand  of  Smith  and  breaking  Farrar's  arm;  thus  was  lost  the  services 
of  two  good  men.  About  nine  o'clock  a  m.  of  the  following  day  they  were  here 
attacked  on  two  sides  by  the  two  hundred  men,  and  the  fight  was  maintained  all 
day.  The  attack  was  made  on  the  east  and  west  sides. 


—23— 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  thirty-five  or  forty  men  were  called  regulators;  they  were  protected  by 
an  unfinished  house  and  a  yard  fence.  Over  this  fence  on  the  west  side  was 
leaning  the  planks  to  put  on  the  house,  and  these  supplied  some  protection.  In 
this  fight  the  casualties  were,  Bill  Hansbury,  moderator,  killed;  Wm.  Price, 
shot  in  the  mouth;  Jim  Graham,  regulator,  shot  in  the  mouth;  Geo.  Sanford, 
arm  broke;  Eph  M.  Dagget  had  his  pants  cut,  but  was  unhurt.  The  regulators 
sent  for  me,  and  I  gathered  the  men  around  me  and  went  next  day.  Richard 
Stiles,  Howell  Hudson,  Peter  Hudson,  Washington  Hooper  and  Jackson  White 
went  with  us,  and  on  our  way  we  were  joined  by  Mint  Truitt  and  Bob  McNairy. 
When  we  got  near  the  place,  the  two  boys,  Truit  and  McNairy,  went  to  the 
battle  ground  and  to  Beecham's  house  to  get  information.  At  the  house  they 
found  Jas.  Graham  wounded  and  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Davenport.  In  the 
yard  they  saw  Ned  and  Berry  Merchant,  who  cocked  their  guns,  as  if  intending 
to  shoot  them.  M,cNairy  stepped  into  the  house  and  cocked  his  gun,  but 
through  the  advice  of  Dr.  Davenport,  he  laid  aside  the  gun  and  appeared  not 
to  see  the  two  men,  went  whistling  through  the  house,  went  into  the  cotton 
field  and  reaching  his  horse  in  safety,  came  back  to  me.  We  were  eating  break- 
fast, and  some  of  our  party  going  after  water  discovered  a  spy  in  the  bed 
of  the  creek.  We  moved  from  the  place  at  once  and  learned  that  the 
moderators  were  there,  but  that  the  regulators  had  gone  ten  miles  off  to  C.  T. 
Hilliard's.  The  Merchants,  as  soon  as  McNairy  left,  went  to  the  camp  of  the 
moderators  and  started  the  spy  company  after  me,  presuming  me  to  be  in  the 
neighborhood.  When  we  left  the  place,  we  separated,  each  one  taking  his  way 
through  the  woods,  to  leave  as  little  sign  as  possible.  Truitt  could  find  no  trail 
by  which  to  follow,  and  was  compelled  to  "circle"  to  reach  us.  The  first  house 
we  reached  was  situated  inside  a  corn  field;  two  horses  were  tied  to  the  fence, 
and  Truitt  and  McNairy  going  in  to  see,  discovered  two  men  of  Alfred  Truitt's 
spy  company.  They  returned  and  reported,  and  we  went  around  the  swamp 
side  of  the  field  and  found  our  men,  the  regulators,  without  further  hindrance. 
On  the  upper  side  of  this  field  thirty-one  men  were  stationed,  and  had  we 
gone  on  that  side,  as  some  wished,  we  would  have  been  captured. 

During  the  fight  at  Beecham's  the  regulators  deceived  the  moderators  by 
falling  at  every  fire,  and  believing  they  had  killed  many,  so  reported,  and  were 
enabled  to  procure  re-inforcements  until  they  soon  numbered  230  strong. 

The  whole  force  of  moderators  now  went  into  the  neighborhood  of  my 
residence  and  searched  the  whole  country  for  me.  We  had  ladies  out  all  the 
time  acting  as  spies  for  us,  watching  the  movements  of  the  moderators.  These 
ladies  were  Mrs.  M.  T.  J.  Johnson,  Helen  Daggett,  Elizabeth  White  and  Mrs. 
Nathan  Matthews.  The  moderators  then  moved  up  to  Dave  Strickland's,  four 
miles  south  of  Hilliards.  We  found  they  were  there,  and  being  scarce  of 
ammunition  had  sent  for  more,  but  concluded  to  go  and  fight  them  with  what 
we  had.  This  was  in  1842.  The  moderators  occupied  a  school  house  of  logs 


—24— 

on  a  ridge,  between  two  small  streams;  their  fires,  cooking  apparatus,  &c.,  were 
south  of  the  school  house.  Our  forces  amounting,  as  I  facetiously  called  it,  to 
one  hundred  and  enough,  were  divided  into  three  companies,  twenty-eight  men 
under  M.  T.  Johnson,  acting  as  cavalry;  these  men  formed  a  select  body  whose 
lives  were  in  danger.  Captain  George  Davidson  and  Lieutenant  Boulware 
commanded  a  company  from  Harrison  county  and  John  Intnan  was  in 
command  of  the  company  from  Shelby  county.  Johnson  went  around  on  the 
south  side  to  attack  as  cavalry  and  the  other  two  companies  being  misled 
by  the  guide,  were  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant  when  the  attack  was  made 
by  Johnson.  They  came  up  in  a  run,  and  were  much  heated  and  fatigued, 
as  it  was  in  the  month  of  August  or  September;  they  formed  on  the  north  and 
west  side.  Capt.  Davidson  mistaking  a  company  of  moderators  for  Johnson's 
company,  and  demanding  who  they  were,  were  fired  upon  and  killed  without 
receiving  any  reply.  The  two  Daggett's,  E.  M.  and  Charles,  were  in  the  lead 
when  they  ran  into  the  moderators,  and  discovering  where  they  were  they  threw 
Andy  Truitt,  a  moderator,  into  a  whole  of  water,  and  escaped  during  the 
excitement.  Johnson  was  to  hold  the  ground  on  the  south  and  east.  The 
battle  began  after  12  m.,  Johnson  firing  the  first  gun,  the  ball  from  which 
struck  the  meat  in  a  man's  hand  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  biting.  OUT 
coming  up  was  unexpected  but  the  firing  soon  became  general.  The 
action  continued  about  four  hours.  It  ceased  and  Colonel  Straw  was  sent 
around  to  draw  us  off  and  take  care  of  the  wounded  and  dead.  We  were  again 
fired  upon,  but  no  one  was  hurt,  and  we  marched  on.  Johnson  was  ordered 
back  to  our  breastworks  and  fortifications  at  Hilliard's:  the  balance  of  the 
command  were  to  follow,  but  finding  no  one  had  molested  them,  and  expecting 
to  be  pursued,  we  went  back  on  the  road  and  stationed  ourselves  in  ambush 
We  drew  off  the  evening  before  to  obtain  more  ammunition,  and  found  that  it 
had  arrived.  We  camped  next  night,  or  rather  took  our  stand  at  the  edge  of  a 
prairie  near  by,  and  in  hearing  of  the  moderators,  and  until  11  o'clock  p.  m.  we 
continually  heard  groans  and  lamentations,  and  during  that  night  they  retired 
four  miles  below.  Tom  Haley  commanded  them  during  the  battle  and  his 
voice  could  be  continually  heard  giving  orders.  Wm.  Nail  and  a  crowd  with 
him,  becoming  freightened,  left  their  guns  and  running  off,  hid  themselves. 
They  did  not  get  back  to  their  men  until  11  a.  m.  the  next  day.  Of  the 
moderators  no  certain  information  was  received  of  the  killed  and  wounded, 
although  sixteen  were  acknowledged  killed  and  twenty-five  were  known  to  have 
been  wounded.  The  regulators  had  one,  George  Davidson,  killed  dead;  two 
wounded,  Howell  Hudson  and  Kane,  who  died  afterwards.  After  the  battle  at 
Hilliard's  we  moved  five  miles  below  Shelbyville,  to  the  camp  ground.  The 
moderators  intended  going  to  the  same  place,  but  finding  it  occupied  by  us, 
made  their  stand  in  a  field  at  the  town  of  Shelbyville.  We  went  before  day, 
with  one  hundred  men  to  attack  them,  and  to  cut  off  a  new  spy  company  they 
had  raised  and  under  the  command  of  Richard  Haley,  then  out  foraging.  We 
formed  our  men  into  three  divisions;  one  under  Boulware,  on  the  Natchitoches 


—25— 

road;  another  on  the  San  Augustine  road  under  Colonel  Morman,  and  the 
other  under  Sandford  on  the  Sand  Hill  road.  Our  horses  were  left  tied  in  the 
head  of  a  hollow,  about  one-half  mile  from  Morman's,  on  the  San  Augustine 
road.  Where  Morman  was  placed,  about  one-half  mile  from  Shelbyville, 
the  young  pines  were  too  thick  to  see  any  distance;  the  orders  were  to 
wait  until  the  foremost  men  reached  Morman  and  then  all  to  fire  on  the 
line  of  men  who  would  be  in  ten  feet  of  them.  They  came  along;  Morman's 
gun  failed  to  fire  and  the  next  man  took  his  place.  Haley's  gun  was  struck  in 
the  lock  and  fired  by  the  shot,  and  Haley  lost  his  hat.  When  Lieut.  Boulware 
crossed  the  road  he  got  Haley's  hat.  New  blankets  and  provisions  were 
scattered  in  the  road.  The  company  then  fired  into  the  line  and  the 
moderators  ran.  They  went  in  the  direction  of  Sandford's  company,  except 
Haley,  who  ran  straight  on  into  Shelbyville.  Sanford's  guns  missed  fire 
and  the  moderators  scattered  and  went  to  their  main  body.  The 
regulators  retired  to  their  horses,  sent  information  back  to  the  command  and 
waited  for  re-inforcements,  expecting  an  attack,  but  no  attack  was  made  as  the 
moderators  wsnt  into  the  Teneha  swamp  to  make  their  escape.  -  The  number 
killed  and  wounded  in  this  affair  was  never  ascertained.  This  was  in  or  about 
the  month  of  September,  1842. 

We  remained  at  our  camp,  watching  an  •  opportunity  to  attack  the  moder- 
ators, some  eight  or  ten  days,  having  occasional  skirmishes  with  small  bodies 
of  the  enemy.  In  one  instance  we  went  with  a  few  men  near  the  house  of  Mr. 
Shoat,  a  few  shots  were  fired  and  some  of  the  enemy  wounded.  On  the  side  of 
the  regulators  there  were  no  injuries.  In  this  camp  we  remained  receiving 
information  and  advice  from  friends  in  San  Augustine,  until  the  day  the  militia 
arrived,  when  we  were  disbanded  and  all  returned  to  their  homes. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  regulators  I  made  a  motion  that  the  different  counties 
of  the  Republic  be  notified  of  what  was  going  on  with  us  and  advised  to 
organize,  arm  and  protect  themselves.  The  letters  were  written  by  Colonel 
Morman  and  C.  T.  Hilliard,  and  being  received  by  the  counties  had  a  strong 
effect.  Upon  this  action  the  moderators  called  upon  General  Houston,  presi- 
dent of  the  Republic,  and  urged  him  to  call  out  the  militia,  and  stated  that  their 
numbers  had  been  reduced  from  two  hundred  and  thirty  to  sixty-five  and  that 
was  their  number  when  surrounded  by  the  regulators  in  the  thicket,  after  the 
battle  at  HilLard's.  General  Houston  anticipating  the  approach  of  Santa 
Anna,  and  believing  the  discord  between  the  citizens  would  enable  Santa  Anna 
to  overrun  the  country,  called  out  the  militia,  and  placing  them,  to  the  number 
of  1500  men,  under  the  command  of  General  James  Smith,  sent  them  to  Shelby 
county,  when  upon  their  arrival,  the  citizens  laid  aside  their  arms  and  went 
home,  and  ended  the  war  between  the  regulators  and  the  moderators. 


—26— 

CHAPTER  X. 

I  had  .gone  into  Louisiana  with  some  friends,  but  returned  to  aid  in  the 
interment  of  Howell  Hudson.  We  buried  him  with  military  honors,  firing  a 
platoon  over  his  grave.  We  made  preparations  to  leave  after  filling  the  grave, 
when  it  was  proposed  that  we  hunt  for  Henry  Strickland,  thinking  he  could  be 
found  that  night.  We  started  and  soon  discovered  the  tracks  of  the  horse  rode 
by  the  spy  of  the  moderators.  We  chased  him  five  miles  but  he  escaped. 
Going  on  further  we  met  Colonel  Morman,  who  invited  the  men  into  a  grocery 
and  treated  them.  We  took  an  old  road,  going  to  the  Strickland  settlement, 
and  met  the  old  man  Morman  and  Washington  Parrish  driving  a  yoke  of  oxen 
in  full  run;  they  told  us  to  turn  back  that  the  militia  were  at  Hilliard's  and 
eighty  men  were  coming  in  our  direction.  We  did  not  wish  to  be  found  with 
arms  in  our  hands  and  we  turned  and  went  back  past  the  grocery.  Nine  of  our 
men  stopped,  as  by  this  time,  they  wanted  more  liquor.  We  turned  then  to 
cross  the  river  at  Logansport,  so  as  to  be  in  Louisiana.  One  company  of 
militia  stopped  at  my  house,  got  some  previsions  and  inquired  for  me;  they 
were  coming  up  to  uni.e  with  the  others.  Colonel  Morman  going  alone  in  the 
direction  of  Logansport,  met  this  company  and  they  took  him  prisoner.  One 
of  the  Horton's  was  in  this  company  and  attempted  to  shoot  Morman,  but 
Morman  seeing  it,  was  ready  and  made  an  effort  to  fire,  but  they  were  prevented 
by  the  militia.  Colonel  Morman  was  deprived  of  his  weapons  and  his  blowing 
horn  would  have  been  taken,  but  he  claimed  it  was  not  a  weapon  and  it  was 
restored  to  him.  While  the  militia  were  standing  with  Morman,  we  rode  up, 
and  discovering  who  they  were,  we  turned  and  made  our  escape.  Tom  (Stanford 
ran  far  ahead  and  we  did  not  see  him  till  next  day.  That  night  we  crossed  the 
Sabine  river.  Colonel  Morman  was  taken  to  Dave  Strickland's  and  from  there 
scouts  were  sent  about  the  country.  These  men,  of  the  militia,  finding  every- 
thing so  different  from  what  had  been  represented,  that  they  informed  their 
Commanding  officer,  General  Smith,  that  they  must  be  disbanded,  or  they  would, 
in  a  body,  join  Colonel  Morman  to  rid  the  country  of  counterfeiters,  thieves  and 
other  lawless  men.  The  next  day  the  militia  was  disbanded  and  all  returned 
to  their  homes,  except  one  company  which  was  retained  and  stationed  for  a 
a  short  time  in  Shelbyville,  to  maintain  law  and  order.  One  of  the  company 
raised  a  difficulty  with  Albert  Harris,  a  regulator,  and  attempted  to  kill  him,  but 
finding  Harris  ready  for  the  .conflict  he  ran  and  concealed  himself.  Vardeman 
Duncan,  a  moderator,  then  took  up  the  difficulty  against  Harris.  Duncan 
advanced  upon  him  with  a  knife,  when  Harris,  to  get  advantage  in  law,  retreated 
a  few  steps,  then  fired  and  missed;  Duncan  still  pursued  with  his  knife,  when 
Harris  fired  a  second  time  and  killed  Duncan.  Then  that  company,  of  militia 
was  discharged. 

John  M.  Bradley  tried  to  procure  the  killing  of  Colonel  Wat  Merman,  and 
he,  (Bradley)  left  home  and  went  to  San  Augustine,  still  continuing  to  threaten 
the  life  of  Morman.  Colonel  Morman  find'ng  ha  was  compelled -to  fight,  took 


—27— 

John  Reynolds  and  David  Winborn  with  him  and  went  to  San  Augustine. 
There  they  found  Bradley  in  church,  attending  a  meeting.  Morman  entered 
the  church  and  set  facing  Bradley.  He  had  been  seen  by  Bradley  and  before 
the  conclusion  of  the  services,  he  (Morman)  went  out  and  stood  on  the  gallery, 
at  the  door  of  the  church.  Bradley  came  out  at  the  close  surrounded  by  a 
crowd  of  women.  Morman  had  dreamed  that  Bradley  wore  a  steel  jacket  and 
as  Bradley  came  out  Morman  cried,  "Clear  the  track,  Wat's  here !"  at  the  same 
moment  aimed  and  fired  at  Bradley,  just  below  where  he  thought  the  steel 
jacket  would  come.  Bradley  fired  also.  Bradley  was  killed;  his  ball  struck  at 
Morman's  feet.  It  was  found  afterwards  that  Bradley  wore  a  steel  jacket,  and 
he  had  been  shot  below  it.  Morman  surrendered  to  the  authorities  of  San 
Augustine  county,  was  tried  and  acquitted.  The  defense  being  the  threats  made 
by  Bradley  and  his  offer  of  one  thousand  dollars  to  any  one  who  would  kill 
Colonel  Morman. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  freebooters  who  belonged  to  the  party  of  the  moderators  were   Willis 

Watson,  Tiger  Jim  Strickland,  Amos  Strickland,  Henry  Strickland,  Dave  Strick- 

• 
land,  Sam  McFadgin  and  his  three  sons,  William,  Baily  and  John  J.  Goodbread, 

Jno.  Smith,  Sam  Todd,  John  Applegate,  Jno.  M.  Bradley,  Bob  Clifford,  Baily 
Anderson,  Jonas  English,  Joshua  English,  Emory  Raines,  chief  counsellor. 

I  was  so  much  annoyed  by  my  enemies  in  Shelby  county,  by  being  waylaid, 
my  horses  poisoned,  etc.,  and  was  kept  so  much  disturbed  that  I  left  Shelby 
county  in  1851  and  settled  twelve  miles  west  of  Jordan's  Saline,  in  the  county 
of  VanZandt.  I  took  my  remaining  sto.ck  with  me.  Here  I  traded  my  horses 
for  a  large  stock  of  hogs,  keeping  only  one  mare.  And  during  my  absence  from 
home  Rusk  Mclnturf,  with  his  clan,  stole  my  whole  stock  of  hogs  and  escaped 
with  them. 

In  1854  I  bought  another  stock  of  hogs,  intending  to  move  my  whole  stock 
to  the  Brazos,  and  going  to  collect  them,  found  them  all  gone  again.  What  I 
could  find  of  my  hogs,  horses  and  cattle,  I  took  with  me  to  the  Horse  Shoe 
bend  of  Brazos  river,  in  Parker  county. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

In  1856  I  moved  my  stock  to  the  head  of  Kickapoo  creek  in  Erath  county. 
Here  they  did  well  until  the  close  of  the  late  civil  war.  In  1855  I  lived  in  Big 
Valley  above  the  Horse-Shoe  Bend  of  the  Brazos  river,  in  Parker  county.  There 
myself  and  family  were  sick.  At  one  time  I  was  in  want  of  breadstuff,  and 
learning  that  a  wagon  load  of  flour  and  whiskey  had  arrived  at  the  house  of  a 
man  named  Sanchez,  living  in  the  neighborhood,  I  went  to  the  place  to  procure 
what  I  required  when  I  met  a  man  by  the  name  of  Walker,  who  had  waylaid  me 
in  Shelby  county.  I  got  my  flour  and  was  about  to  start  home,  when  Walker 
stepped  up,  caught  me  in  the  bosom  with  his  left  hand,  in  his  right  hand,  raised 


—28— 

above  his  head,  he  held  a  dangerous  knife.  He  accused  me  of  going  with  Col. 
Mormon  to  waylay  and  kill  him.  I  was  unarmed  and  unsuspicious  of  a  difficulty 
in  going  to  the  place.  I  knocked  his  hand  loose  from  my  bosom,  and  pressed 
close  to  him  with  my  face  to  his  looking  him  in  the  eye ;  he  shut  his  eyes,  closed 
his  knife,  put  it  in  his  pocket  and  walked  away.  He  went  into  Sanchez's  house 
and  the  crowd  inside  hearing  the  loud  talk  came  out  hurriedly.  Sanchez  met 
Walker  at  the  fence,  Walker  gave  him  his  bridle  reins  to  hold  and  went  into  the 
house  and  came  out  again  immediately  without  any  more  weapons.  Coming  to 
the  fence  he  got  another  cup  of  whiskey  and  desired  me  to  drink  with  him;  I 
told  him  I  would  not  drink  with  any  such  man,  and  any  man  who  accused  me 
of  going  with  Col.  Mormon  to  waylay  him  or  any  one  else  was  a  liar  and  no 
gentleman,  that  he  (Walker)  belonged  to  one  party  and  I  to  another,  but  I  had 
never  taken  advantage  of  any  one.  He  then  invited  me  to  go  home  with  him, 
but  I  refused.  He  then  proposed  to  go  home  with  me.  I  answered  that  he 
could  go  where  he  pleased  that  I  should  not  go  with  him.  About  that  time 
Phillis  Stroud  came  up,  and  I  went  on  with  Stroud  who  lived  near  me.  When 
we  started  Walker  went  with  us  and  affecting  to  be  very  drunk  fell  from  his 
horse  and  went  no  further. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

After  this  efforts  were  made  to  raise  a  difficulty  between  Walker  and  myself. 
People  Were  afraid  of  him  and  thought  him  a  desperado.  I  was  urged  to  fight 
him  but  I  was  not  to  be  decoyed  into  trouble. 

A  party  was  given  at  old  man  Pointers,  two  miles  above  me  on  Kickapoo 
creek.  Walker,  together  with  the  basest  characters,  male  and  female,  of  the 
country,  was  there.  I  was  about  a  mile  from  Pointer's  at  J.  W.  White's,  getting 
a  load  of  rails,  when  Walker  with  six  men  came  to  "wind  me  up."  Mohorn 
came  with  Walker,  both  armed.  The  doors  of  White's  house  were  east  and 
west.  They  came  up  on  the  south  side.  The  other  men,  seven  in  all,  surrounded 
the  house  two  at  a  side.  I  went  out  into -the  yard  as  they  came  in  at  the  east 
door.  There  were  only  two  men,  White  and  Rightman,  at  the  house  when  they 
saw  me.  I  was  unarmed  except  a  derringer  in  my  belt.  As  I  stepped  out  they 
asked  me  for  a  drink  of  water.  I  spoke  to  White  and  said  "these  men  want 
water,  I  am  too  well  raised  to  hand  such  men  water,  you  can  do  as  you  please." 
White  brought  the  water.  Walker  was  dismounting  from  his  horse,  and  it  was 
handed  to  Mohorn.  Walker  said  "M'r.  Middleton,  I  would  like  to  have  a  civil 
chat  with  you."  I  told  him  to  "go  ahead,  I'll  talk  to  you  or  any  one  else."  He 
answered  he  wanted  a  private  chat.  I  said  "go  ahead,  I  will  follow."  White 
had  just  erected  a  little  smoke-house  and  it  was  not  quite  finished.  Walker 
started  around  and  getting  near  the  corner  near  a  pile  of  lumber  I  told  him  to 
stop,  righ;  there  we  would  settle  it.  I  had  my  hand  on  my  pistol  and  was  ready 
for  him.  Walker  dropped  at  once,  and  sitting  down  before  me,  said  he  would 
make  any  acknowledgements  I  wished.  I  told  him  I  wanted  no  difficulty  and 
feared  none,  I  was  always  ready  when  one  came  up,  but  rather  avoided  it  and 


—29— 

acted  in  self  defence.  I  said  "you  say  you  want  no  difficulty?"  He  answered, 
no,  he  did  not,  and  would  make  any  acknowledgements  I  asked.  I  told  him  he 
had  made  enough,  to  attend  to  his  own  business  and  let  mine  alone  and  never 
cross  my  path  again.  He  promised  to  do  so,  said  he  was  done,  and  never  in- 
tended to  interfere  further  with  me.  We  then  walked  back  to  the  yard  where 
his  six  men  were  assembled.  Mohorn  took  me  aside  and  requested  me  not  to 
be  displeased  with  him  for  coming  with  Walker,  as  he  came  only  to  get  the 
difficulty  settled.  "Wihat!"  said  I.  "Mohorn,  did  you  suppose  your  coming 
strengthened  the  matter  any?  Suppose  all  of  you,  the  whole  clan  had  come,  no 
strength  would  have  been  added,  Walker  could  settle  it  alone  as  well."  Ad- 
dressing all  then,  I  said:  "Gentlemen,  I  want  you  all  to  understand  that  Jno.  W. 
is  a  crowd  anywhere,  I  want  no  apologies  from  any  of  you,  I  want  you  to  get  on 
your  horses  and  leave  here,  and  leave  quick.  All  then  mounted  and  left  without 
resenting  anything  I  had  said.  I  never  saw  Walker  but  once  after.  He  went 
near  Fort  Belknap  and  remained  a  short  time.  In  connection  with  a  man  named 
Langston  he  killed  a  man  there,  and  after  that  I  met  him  once  alone.  I  had  my 
shot  gun.  We  talked  a  short  time  in  a  friendly  manner,  separated,  and  I  have 
not  seen  him  since. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Walker  and  four  others,  Joe  Robertson,  Bob  Tucker,  Covington  and  Dordy 
were  the  men  who,  pretending  to  be  Indians,  murdered  Cameron  and  his  wife  in 
Lost  Prairie.  Dordy  was  killed  while  resisting  arrest  for  stealing  the  same 
horses  for  which  Covington  and  Tucker  were  hung  on  Pulaxy.  I  have  been 
informed  that  Robertson  was  executed,  but  have  no  personal  knowledge  of  it. 
Walker  is  yet  living. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  I  moved  to  the  head  of  Kickapoo  creek,  and  the  Indians 
were  located  on  the  reserve  in  Young  county.  For  a  short  time  they  remained 
peaceable.  Early  in  1857  they  commenced  depredating.  They  came  in  by 
families  and  camped,  pretending  to  hunt  and  were  very  friendly.  Part  of  them 
would  steal  horses  and  when  charged  with  it  would  accuse  the  wild  Indians  as 
the  perpetrators.  I  was  elected  captain  of  an  independent  company  for  home 
protection.  The  Indians  came  in  and  camped  on  Saline  creek  and  were  accom- 
panied by  "Choctaw  Tom,"  an  interpreter.  Two  Indians  on  one  occasion  came 
out  near  Buck  creek  in  the  edge  of  the  settlement.  Two  of  the  Lavender  family, 
one  partly  deranged,  went  out  cow  hunting  in  the  direction  of  Saline  creek.  A 
point  of  a  mountain  came  down  in  the  valley,  and  on  this  point  the  two  Indians 
were  stationed,  one  on  the  south  and  the  other  on  the  opposite  side.  A  long 
rock  came  down  from  the  point  and  was  split  in  the  middle.  One  Indian  ran 
into  this  opening  and  as  the  men  passed  shot  at  them  but  missed.  These  men 
not  perceiving  they  were  fired  at,  and  presuming  the  firing  to  be  by  some  neigh- 
bor hunting,  started  towards  the  place  when  they  discovered  the  Indian,  and 
returning  at  once,  notified  me.  I  raised  seventeen  men  and  early  next  day  was 


—30— 

on  the  spot;  following  the  trail  we  overtook  them  just  before  sundown.  We 
divided  and  came  up  on  different  sides  of  the  encampment,  when  Choctaw  Tom 
came  out  and  told  us  they  were  there  peaceably  to  hunt  and  wished  to  do  no 
one  harm.  I  answered  that  the  Indians  of  the  reserve  were  accused  of  horse 
stealing  and  that  much  of  it  was  going  on  in  the  country.  He  said  it  was  by 
wild  Indians.  I  answered  we  did  not  know  wild  indians  from  tame  ones  and 
they  had  better  get  away,  that  I  was  hunting  the  Indians  who  were  doing  the 
mischief  and  they  had  shot  at  two  men  and  I  had  tracked  them  to  that  camp. 
An  old  laughing  Indian  (one  who  laughs  all  the  time)  said  he  had  shot  at  a  deer 
and  not  at  them.  Choctaw  Tom  promised  to  take  the  Indians  back  at  once  to 
the  lower  reserve  where  they  belonged.  I  left  them  and  returned  next  morning. 
They  left  that  day,  but  went  into  Palo  Pinto  county  and  stopped  again.  Peter 
Garland  discovered  they  were  there,  raised  a  company  and  went  against  them. 
He  went  to  their  camp  and  dividing  his  command  approached  them  in  two 
divisions.  One  party  made  an  immediate  attack  and  killed  several  Indians;  two 
of  the  attacking  party  were  killed.  The  other  division  fired  one  round,  retired 
to  reload  and  failed  to  return. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  next  difficulty  was  in  the  same  year,  1857.  A  party  of  Indians  came  in 
and  killed  a  man  named  Browning.  They  came  from  the  upper  reserve  This 
man  Browning,  was  in  the  woods  below  Baylor's  ranch  and  fought  the  Indians 
alone  for  some  time  and  killed  one.  Wihen  charged  with  this  crime  it  was 
attributed  by  them  to  wild  Indians.  Jno.  R.  and  George  Baylor  were  then 
absent.  On  their  return  they  determined  to  avenge  the  death  of  Browning,  and 
taking  four  men  went  on  the  frontier  to  a  point  on  the  Indian  trail  which  the 
Indians  would  pass  on  their  return  They  stopped  and  during  a  consultation 
they  saw  two  Indians  coming,  who  retreated  before  the  men  could  get  ready  to 
follow  on  horseback.  One  of  the  Indians  was  shot  and  killed,  the  other  escaped. 
The  white  men  then  went  to  another  trail  where  they  met  six  Indians;  fighting 
commenced  at  once  and  every  indian  was  killed.  One  of  the  Indians,  wounded 
in  the  beginning,  protected  himself  behind  a  rock  and  was  the  last  killed.  After 
this  fight  and  on  the  same  day,  they  moved  and  came  up  in  the  rear  of  seven 
Indians  They  were  accompanied  by  a  chief  who  wore  a  wig  with  a  wide 
leathern  strap  hanging  from  it  to  his  feet,  and  this  adorned  with  silver  plates  at 
intervals.  Jno.  R.  Baylor  told  his  party  to  notice  him  knock  off  one  of  the  plates; 
he  fired  knocked  off  the  plate  and  wounded  the  Indian.  They  then  charged 
the  Indians.  One  of  the  Indians  jumped  up  behind  the  chief  to  carry  him  away, 
but  was  shot  down.  They  killed  three  then,  the  chief  died  afterwards.  The 
others  escaped  temporarily  by  hiding  in  the  drift  of  a  creek  near  by,  but  being 
discovered  were  killed,  making  thirteen  that  day.  They  then  went  to  the  camp 
of  the  rangers,  which  was  in  the  neighborhood,  as  they  were  nearly  out  of 
ammunition.  The  rangers  now  went  to  look  for  Indians  but  found  none;  they 
found  the  body  of  the  chief  and  sent  the  strap  with  the  silver  plates  to  Col.  Baylor. 


—31— 

Baylor.  After  this  the  country  commenced  organizing  to  whip  and  drive  away 
the  Indians  from  the  upper  and  lower  reserve.  John  R.  Baylor  and  Peter 
Garland  gathered  what  forces  they  could  from  Erath  and  Palo  Pinto  counties 
and  established  their  head  quarters  at  Baylor's  ranch  and  vicinity,  on  the  Clear 
Fork  of  Brazos,  ten  or  twelve  miles  east  of  the  upper  reserve.  John  R.  Baylor, 
Peter  Garland,  Henry  Pugh,  John  Pry  and  myself  then  went  to  the  lower 
reserve  with  the  forces  then  as  to  our  future  action.  Baylor  remained  there  and 
sent  Garland  back.  Pugh  and  Fry  went  back  with  Garland.  At  the  request  of 
Baylor  I  remained  with  him.  As  soon  as  the  organization  was  completed, 
Ward,  with  one  hundred  men,  was  sent  to  re-inforce  Garland  on  the  upper 
reserve,  it  being  determined  to  destroy  the  Indians  (Comanches)  of  that  reserve 
first.  Baylor  then,  with  his  regiment,  went  to  the  upper  reserve,  taking  part  of 
Captain  Hamner's  company  as  advance  guard.  The  guard  met  a  squad  of 
Indians  who  retreated  to  the  reserve;  Hamner  charged  upon  them,  but  his  stake 
rope  fell  off  his  horse  and  catching,  checked  him,  and  the  Indians  escaped.  He 
returned,  resumed  command  and  moved  on  until  we  got  in  sight  of  a  Waco 
village  on  our  left  and  a  Caddo  or  Annadako  village  on  our  right.  The 
Indians  raised  the  warhoop  on  our  right;  they  were  in  the  brush  and  Hamner 
making  a  flank  movement,  they  ran  and  escaped.  We  were  now  at  the  lower 
reserve.  The  road  ran  along  the  edge  of  the  village,  and  we  moved  and  formed 
line  of  battle  in  the  road.  A  squad  of  Indians  from  the  reserve,  came  over  the 
hill  in  sight  of  us,  wheeled  and  ran  back.  Soon  the  officers  of  the  U.  S.  army 
came  and  beckoning  to  us  for  a  parley,  our  officers,  Baylor  and  the  captains  of 
companies  met  them,  when  the  officers  of  the  U.  S.  army  ordered  them  off  the 
reserve.  The  line  of  march  was  then  taken  for  the  upper  reserve.  On  my 
reaching  Salt  Creek  the  principal  part  of  the  regiment  had  crossed.  A  high 
bluff  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek  and  we  were  on  the  west  side.  Two 
Indians  on  this  bluff  bantered  us,  and  by  all  sorts  of  actions  endeavored  to 
provoke  us  into  an  attack  upon  them.  Hamner's  company  was  in  the  rear  and 
ordered  to  recross  the  creek  and  attack  the  Indians  in  the  rear.  After  he  had 
crossed  and  was  going  around  the  bluff,  Baylor  asked  my  opinion  as  to  whether 
it  was  a  good  place  to  fight.  I  replied  it  was  not,  and  called  his  attention  to  the 
Indians  in  the  valley  and  the  fact  that  we  were  still  on  the  reserve.  We  recalled 
Hamner's  company  and  moved  on  slowly.  As  Hamner  was  passing  to  his  place 
in  the  regiment  he  was  fired  upon  and  his  horse  wounded  in  the  hip  by  a  bullet 
from  a  six  shooter.  Another  man  was  shot  at  and  a  tree  was  struck  by  the  large 
ball  very  near  the  man's  head.  I  told  Biaylor  that  we  had  better  continue  the 
march  until  we  had  left  the  reserve  and  then  stop  and  fight.  We  had  gone  but 
a  few  miles  and  were  not  yet  off  the  reserve,  when  we  were  fired  upon  from  a 
mountain  on  our  right,  and  the  firing  was  kept  up  for  two  miles,  and  after  we 
had  passed  the  Tonkaway  village.  Before  we  passed  the  village  an  Annadako 
chief  made  frequent  demonstrations  of  charging  on  our  rear,  and  some  young 
men  abandoned  a  pack-horse  which  was  carrying  their  provisions.  Baylor  went 
back,  rescued  the  horse  and  we  halted  until  his  return.  Salt  creek  was  on  the 


—32— 

east  side  of  the  village,  a  bluff  on  the  west  side  and  a  pond  of  lasting  water  at 
the  foot  of  the  bluff  on  the  west  side  Baylor  halted  until  Captain  Hamner 
could  come  up  after  watering  his  horses  in  the  pond.  He  marched  the  length 
of  the  company  in  the  water  and  when  the  horses  had  drank  countermarched  to 
the  rear.  W;e  saw  only  one  Indian,  who  came  running  through  the  village.  He 
was  surrounded;  Hamner  ran  up  beside  him  and  went  with  him  to  Baylor. 
Baylor  spoke  to  him  in  several  different  Indian  dialects,  but  he  exhibited  no 
knowledge  of  any.  The  Indian  was  between  Hamner  and  Baylor,  each  having 
his  gun  in  the  saddle  across  his  lap.  Baylor  took  the  Indian's  gun  and  spat  in 
the  pan.  The  Indian  letting  go  his  gun,  jerked  Hamner's,  but  he  held  it  fast  and 
shot  the  Indian  with  his  six  shooter.  The  Indian  then  started  forward  and  was 
again  fired  upon  and  killed.  The  Indians  then  raised  a  general  yell,  fired  a  full 
volley  at  us  from  the  mountain,  started  to  make  a  charge  and  tried  to  take 
possession  of  a  ravine  in  our  front,  but  finding  it  occupied  by  our  troops, 
retreated.  A  few  miles  further  on,  we  reached  a  mesquit  flat — a  post  oak  ridge 
a  mile  long  was  on  our  right  and  we  had  to  go  around  the  south  end  of  it. 
Baylor  staying  in  the  rear,  sent  me  with  the  colors  to  the  point  of  the  ridge. 
Captain  Scantland  was  sent  across  the  ridge  to  enclose  any  Indians  found  there. 
After  I  had  passed  the  ridge  a  short  distance,  we  were  fired  into  from  the  ridge 
by  the  Indians;  no  one  hurt.  I  ordered  a  charge  of  the  men  with  me.  A  man 
named  Cook,  close  to  me,  ran  too  fast  and  was  too  close  to  the  Indians,  when 
he  was  wounded  by  one  of  our  men  and  died  next  day.  Afer  the  Indians  got 
out  in  the  rear  of  Captain  Scantland,  we  halted  at  the  point  of  the  ridge  until 
we  could  bring  in  Cook.  We  carried  him  to  the  house  of  Wm.  Marlin,  about 
half  a  mile  off.  At  Marlin's  a  branch  heads  east  and  runs  past  his  house  and 
turns  west,  and  a  mountain  is  southeast  of  Marlin's.  Here  the  regular  soldiers 
and  Indian?  came  up  behind  the  mountain.  An  Indian  of  the  Annadako  tribe 
was  in  command.  I  knew  his  voice  when  I  heard  him  giving  directions.  We 
staked  out  our  horses  and  prepared  for  fight.  It  was  about  2  p.  m. ;  we  expected 
an  attack  before  sundown.  The  Indians  came  before  we  expected  them  and 
raised  their  warhoop.  W<e  formed  our  lines  in  such  positions  as  we  thought 
best.  Hamner's  company  formed  near  me  and  I  fell  in  with  that  company. 
We  marched  up  the  west  side  of  the  branch  where  collected  the  enemy — the 
Indians  and  regulars.  After  marching  a  few  hundred  yards  I  saw  a  position 
from  which  I  thought  I  could  kill  an  Indian  and  placed  myself  near  a  post 
oak.  I  supposed  some  Indian  would  come  down  the  branch  to  obtain  some 
advantage  and  I  would  surprise  him.  A  boy  of  the  command  took  a  similar 
position  near  me.  A  squad  of  men  had  advanced  about  two  hundred  yards  to 
the  top  of  the  hill  on  my  right  and  the  battle  was  going  on.  Baylor  came  by  and 
ordered  me  to  take  command  of  the  squad  on  the  hill,  and  on. my  arrival  the  firing 
ceased.  The  men  informed  me  they  had  seen  three  Indians  fall  from  their 
horses.  In  a  few  minutes  Colonel  Baylor  came  up  to  me  and  said:  "Let's  go 
and  bring  in  our  horses  and  put  them  under  guard."  I  then  went  back,  got  our 
horses  and  ordered  the  guard  to  bring  in  all,  which  was  done,  and  I  returned  to 


—33— 

my  command.  As  I  reached  it,  Van  Burns  started  towards  the  mountain  with 
his  gun  and  was  gone  but  five  minutes,  when  he  killed  an  Indian  and  returned 
with  his  scalp.  The  Indian  commander  moved  back  and  forth  between  the 
mountain  and  ravine  giving  orders,  mounted  on  a  fine  yellow  horse  which  once 
belonged  to  a  circus,  well  trained  and  gaited,  and  traded  at  the  reserve.  This 
Indian  wore  a  wig,  filled  with  turkey  feathers,  which  he  delighted  in  making 
whistle  through  the  air  as  he  dashed  backward  and  forward  at  high  speed.  He 
was  repeatedly  shot  at.  A  man  and  boy  went  to  the  upper  corner  of  Marlin's 
field  to  secure  a  shot  at  him  When  the  man  reached  his  place  he  was  shot  at 
by  the  Indians  and  four  holes  made  in  his  shirt  and  a  blood  blister  raised  on  his 
hand  as  he  cocked  his  gun.  He  fired  at  the  Indian  on  the  yellow  horse  and  cut 
off  his  wig  which  contained  the  feathers,  and  when  they  fell  the  Indians  all 
raised  a  yell.  After  this  he  seemed  to  exert  himself  to  a  greater  degree  and 
press  his  horse  to  greater  speed  than  before.  When  he  came  back  again  near  the 
man  and  boy,  it  was  agreed  that  the  man  shoot  at  the  Indian  and  the  boy  at  the 
horse.  When  the  guns  fired  the  Indian  ceased  commanding,  the  horse  lessened 
his  speed  to  a  slow  gallop,  and  a  short  distance  over  the  hill  fell.  For  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  no  command  was  given;  then  Peter  Ross  from  around  the 
mountain  commenced  giving  orders.  A  squad  of  men  from  a  house  about  one 
hundred  yards  below  Marlin's  was  attracting  much  attention  from  the  Indians 
by  their  close  shooting.  A  Mr.  Washburn  from  the  corner  of  the  chimney  kept 
up  a  strong  fire  and  was  doing  execution.  An  Indian  crept  up  between  the  boy 
stationed  near  me,  as  before  stated,  and  Mr.  Washburn,  and  firing,  killed 
Washburn.  The  boy  then  discovered  the  Indian  and  being  ready  with  his  gun, 
fired,  the  Indian  fell  over  on  some  bushes  and  before  the  boy  could  reload,  fell 
from  that  position  into  the  ravine,  out  of  sight.  Strong  evidence  was  afterwards 
found  there  that  if  not  killed  he  had  been  badly  wounded.  The  Indians  com- 
menced retreating  as  soon  as  Ross  took  command  and_  no  more  fighting  worthy 
of  mention  was  done.  Bancroft  T.Jhrary 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

We  remained  upon  the  battle  ground  until  next  morning.  The  sun  was 
nearly  down  when  we  ceased  firing  and  not  knowing  whether  another  attack 
would  be  made,  we  kept  our  place,  with  a  proper  guard,  for  our  horses.  The 
next  morning  I  was  placed  on  picquit  guard  until  we  could  bury  Washburn  and 
carry  the  two  wounded  to  Fort  Belknap.  Colonel  Baylor  desired  to  go  at  once 
to  the  upper  reserve,  but  others  contended  for  going  with  the  wounded  by  Fort 
Belknap.  We  had  no  paper  and  therefore  sent  verbal  dispatches  to  Garland 
and  White  of  the  fight  and  our  coming  to  the  upper  reserve.  The  message  was 
not  credited,  and  when  we  reached  Fort  Belknap  we  were  threatened  by  the 
United  States  army  with  a  cannonade,  but  we  remained  until  the  next  evening 
as  our  wounded  men  died  and  we  wished  to  and  did  give  them  the  rites  of 
burial.  The  next  evening  we  marched  out  a  few  miles  and  camped,  and  then 


—34— 

arose  much  anxiety  on  the  part  of  the  men  lest  they  should  call  upon  them- 
selves the  anger  and  force  of  the  United  States.  One  company  having  ar- 
ranged to  leave  that  night  left  their  horses  saddled  and  intended  going  off  in 
small  parties  past  the  guard,  mounting  their  horses  and  leaving.  Other  com- 
panies perceiving  that  some  of  the  horses  were  left  with  their  saddles  on  did 
the  same,  and  during  the  night  so  much  confusion  resulted  from  the  number  of 
horses  saddled  and  men  meeting  men  who  were  not  informed  of  the  intention 
that  the  design  was  betrayed  and  no  one  left.  In  the  night  Baylor  trebled  the 
guard  and  ordered  any  man  shot  who  offered  to  pass  the  lines.  In  the  morn- 
ing I  took  the  colors  and  called  for  volunteers  Hamner  with  his  company 
came  first,  and  finally  all  came  forward  except  Sutton's  company  from  Weath- 
erford  which  refused  to  proceed  further  and  returned  home.  We  then  moved 
on  towards  the  upper  reserve,  when  meeting  with  the  command  of  Ward  we 
halted,  ate  dinner  and  then  the  whole  command  returned  to  the  lower  reserve. 
Baylor  went  to  his  ranch.  Garland  had  left  with  his  company  and  gone  down 
the  east  side  of  the  Brazos  river  to  the  lower  reserve  where  all  were  collecting. 
After  the  men  had  collected  and  arrangments  were  making  for  a  campaign,  a 
compromise  was  made  and  the  war  against  the  reserve  Indians  ceased.  The 
Texans  returned  to  their  homes.  Ln  the  last  fight  mentioned  above  the  Indians 
lost  twenty-two  who  were  killed  and  died  of  their  wounds.  The  Texans  lost 
three  killed.  In  the  morning  after  our  arrival  at  Baylor's  ranch,  eight  of  us 
having  gone  there,  I  rose  very  early  as  was  my  custom  and  went  out  to  move 
my  horse,  he  was  staked  low  down  in  the  field  near  the  river,  and  where,  un- 
known to  me,  was  a  ford.  Dr.  Barkley,  Howell  and  Clark  stopped  to  wash 
their  faces  before  moving  their  horses;  the  others  were  not  yet  out  of  bed.  I 
was  returning  from  my  horse  and  the  three  men  were  untying  the  ropes  from 
the  stakes  when  I  heard  horses  moving,  and  looking  back  saw  Maj.  Neighbors 
and  nineteen  Indians  charging  upon  me  not  distant  more  than  fifty  yards.  The 
men  commenced  hellooing,  "Help!  help!  Indians,  Indians!"  I  had  called 
their  attention  by  calling  to  them.  "Look  out,  boys,  the  Indians  are  coming." 
Baylor  came  out  and  said  they  are  white  men  as  they  have  on  citizen's  clothes. 
I  replied  they  were  Indians,  when  Baylor  called  up  the  men.  I  covered  the  re- 
treat of  Hcwell  and  Clark  by  threatening  them  with  my  gun,  but  Dr.  Barkley 
was  captured.  He  was  carried  a  short  distance  and  after  they  had  taken  from 
him  three  gold  dollars  and  his  pen-knife  he  was  permitted  to  return.  The  Uni- 
ted States  authorities  and  the  citizens  assembled  at  the  lower  reserve  agreed 
upon  the  removal  of  the  Indians  to  Fort  Cobb,  when  the  people  satisfied  with 
the  agreement  disbanded  and  returned  to  their  homes.  We  were  then  at  peace 
with  the  Indians  and  for  twelve  months  after  but  little  mischief  was  done. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  first  party  which  now  came  in  killed  Johnson  and  his  negro  servant  in 
Comanche  county  and  escaped.  The  next,  a  man  living  near  the  western  end 
of  Duffau  mountain  in  Erath  county  was  out  stock  hunting  between  the  moun- 
tain and  a  high  knob.  In  a  ravine  near  by  he  discovered  a  band  of  Indians 
making  arrows  in  a  dogwood  thicket.  He  gave  the  alarm  at  once,  and  in  a 
very  short  time  a  force  was  raised  and  divided  into  two  parties.  A  young  man 
named  Caldwell  and  three  others  went  to  MatherelPs  Gap  and  the  others  to 
where  the  Indians  had  been  seen.  The  latter  discovered  the  Indians,  forced 
them  out  and  pursued  them  on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain  and  ran  them 
through  the  gap.  The  Indians  came  sooner  than  expected  and  Caldwell 
reached  the  gap  just  in  time  to  meet  them  and  there  the  fight  commenced. 
Caldwell  killed  one  there  and  the  fight  continued  a  short  time  and  then  the  In- 
dians ran  and  a  running  fight  was  kept  up  for  a  short  distance.  The  Indians 
left  none  of  their  number  behind  except  the  one  killed.  From  this  Indian  an 
arm  was  taken,  carried  to  the  settlements,  washed  and  proved  to  be  that  of  a 
white  man.  The  Indians  in  their  flight  killed  and  stole  horses  as  they  went  and 
passed  near  my  house.  My  son,  Nathan,  looking  up  some  cows  the  next  morn- 
ing found  a  bloody  flour  sack,  Stair's  mare  killed  and  Ben  Trimin's  mare  badly 
wounded.  The  next  day  I  went  to  Stephensville  and  meeting  with  a  returning 
party  of  citizens  learned  the  inroad  of  the  Indians.  In  1860  four  Indians  came 
in  and  killed  Jim  Phillips  on  Puluxey,  in  Erath  county.  They  took  his  two 
horses,  scalped  Phillips  and  wore  off  his  hat.  Nathan  Middleton  rode  out  on 
his  mule  the  same  evening  near  to  where  Phillips  was  killed  and  found  a  cow 
and  calf,  and  started  to  drive  them  home.  The  Indians  were  close  by  and  saw 
him  but  he  did  not  see  them.  The  cow  ran  across  some  brakes  of  a  ravine  that 
ran  into  Kickapoo  creek  to  get  into  the  timber.  One  Indian  riding  a  very  small 
mule  tryino  to  cut  Nathan  Middleton  off,  ran  down  the  bed  of  the  ravine  to  its 
mouth.  Nathan  finding  he  could  not  drive  the  cow  in  the  timber,  and  not  be- 
ing anxious  to  do  so,  as  it  was  Sunday,  left  the  cow  and  returned  home  thus 
escaping  the  Indians. 

J.  W.  White  made  arrangments  to  pursue  the  Indians,  and  came  to  my 
house.  We  were  to  start  on  the  trail  early  next  morning,  and  the  balance  of 
the  men  were  to  come  to  my  house  to  go  on  with  us,  but  no  one  came.  We 
two  went  on  and  trailed  them  to  near  the  head  of  Stroud's  creek,  where  two 
beeves  had  been  killed.  They  turned  then  on  to  Robertson  creek  and  there  we 
were  joined  by  Truitt  and  McKenzie,  and  we  followed  the  trail  to  Kickapoo. 
We  lost  the  trail  there  and  circled  to  find  where  they  had  crossed  the  river. 
When  we  reached  the  river  we  turned  up  to  Henry  Maxwell's  on  the  Weather- 
ford  and  Stephenville  road.  Maxwell  had  been  out  and  discovered  the  trail  a 
few  miles  above  his  house.  The  trail  was  found  running  across  the  river. 
White  and  Truitt  swam  the  river  and  found  one  of  Phillips'  horses  which  they 
brought  back.  We  were  told  by  James  Upton,  from  across  the  river,  before  the 


—36— 

men  swam  it  that  the  Indians  had  been  there  and  captured  some  horses.  The 
river  was  up  and  the  Indians  swam  it  and  went  on  to  Golconda  in  Palo  Pinto 
county.  There  a  company  of  cow  hunters  came  up  with  them,  captured  seven- 
teen of  the  horses  and  the  red  skins  escaped  with  only  the  hordes  they  were 
riding.  I  went  home  and  gathering  a  crowd  went  at  once  to  the  head  of  Sun- 
day creek  valley  expecting  the  return  of  the  Indians.  I  reached  the  east  side  of 
the  valley  before  sundown  and  took  a  station  to  watch,  but  I  was  a  few  minutes 
too  late,  the  Indians  had  passed.  Next  morning  about  sunrise  we  struck  the 
trail  and  ran  the  savages  across  the  head  of  Puluxey  creek  and  some  distance 
down  the  Leon  river  We  camped  on  the  Leon,  rain  commenced  falling  and 
as  we  could  not  trail  them  we  hastened  back  to  Stephenville,  and  there  learned 
that  a  company  had  met  them  the  evening  before  at  Duffau  mountain,  and  that 
the  Indians  had  left  there  and  gone  in  the  direction  of  my  house.  We  hurried 
home  and  had  not  yet  struck  the  trail.  Tom  Killen  lived  near  the  river,  and  in 
going  home  saw  the  trail  but  he  was  alone  and  the  Indians  too  long  gone  to  try 
to  follow.  In  this  raid  the  Indians  were  so  closely  pursued  that  they  got 
nothing. 

The  horses  captured  from  the  Indians  at  Golconda  were  staked  out  there 
by  the  cow  hunters,  and  the  Indians  on  their  return  went  by  and  stole  them 
again.  The  next  morning  the  cow  hunters  discovered  their  loss  and  gave  chase 
immediately.  They  followed  until  their  horses  were  jaded  and  then  met  with 
another  party  of  cow  hunters  on  fresh  horses.  They  took  the  trail  and  followed 
until  evening  when  they  overtook  them  seventy  miles  from  Golconda.  This 
pursuit  was  made  in  the  part  of  one  day.  The  Indians  were  bivouacked  on  the 
top  of  a  mountain  drying  their  blankets  and  jerking  their  meat  in  the  sun.  The 
cow  men  were  discovered  by  an  Indian  sentinel  on  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
and  the  Indians  mounted  and  started  to  run.  A  small  Indian  riding  a  very 
slow  horse  had  the  scalp  of  Phillips  and  wore  his  hat,  a  large  Indian  remained 
to  assist  him  Two  Indians  on  swift  horses  endeavored  to  divert  the  attention 
of  the  cow  men  but  without  success.  The  white  men  kept  steadily  after  the 
small  and  large  Indians.  The  small  one  having  been  killed  the  other  ran  but 
was  caught  and  shot.  He  died  soon  after  in  the  brush.  The  other  two 
escaped. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Some  time  after  this  Wm.  Culver  was  with  his  scouts  watching  for  Indians 
on  Saline  creek  in  Palo  Pinto  county.  Two  men  were  posted  on  high  moun- 
tains to  watch  the  Indian  trail.  Culver  and  his  men  were  in  the  valley.  The 
signal  was  given  that  the  Indians  were  coming.  Culver  and  Ross  dashed  after 
them.  There  were  but  two  and  being  overtaken  by  Culver  and  Ross  a  hand- 
to-hand  fight  took  place.  One  Indian  was  killed,  the  other  wounded.  The 
wounded  Indian  when  the  other  was  killed  jumped  into  the  saddle  upon  Cul- 
ver's horse  and  made  his  escape.  They  had  dismounted  to  fight  and  Culver's 


—37— 

horse  was  the  best  in  the  party.  They  trailed  the  Indian  by  his  blood  until 
night  and  continued  the  trail  next  morning.  It  was  followed  a  mile  up  on  the 
side  of  the  mountain  where  they  found  Culver's  horse  tied  to  a  tree,  and  search- 
ing they  found  the  Indian  lying  dead  under  a  shelving  rock. 

A  short  time  after  another  party  came  in  accompanied  by  a  Yankee  sur- 
geon. They  went  down  on  Robertson  creek  in  Hood  county  and  turned  back 
towards  Kickapoo  creek.  They  came  in  contact  with  Jackson  and  Nathan 
Holt  driving  a  cow  and  yearling  and  a  cow  and  calf.  The  two  men  were  sepera- 
ted  by  the  cow  being  hard  to  drive,  the  calf  not  keeping  up.  Nathan  Holt  was 
on  foot  leading  his  mare,  and  he  was  killed  and  scalped.  It  was  two  days  be- 
fore his  body  was  found,  and  then  one-half  a  mile  from  where  he  had  been 
driving  the  cattle.  His  arms  were  broken. 

A  short  time  after  another  party  of  Indians  came  into  the  Duffau  mountains 
and  a  party  of  citizens  pursued  them.  A  few  miles  to  the  north  of  Stephens 
ville  they  (the  citizens)  were  met  by  Jesse  Caroway,  Matherwell  and  some 
others,  who  took  up  the  trail  and  caught  up  with  the  Indians  near  the  head  of 
Bosque  river  and  a  hand-to-hand  fight  ensued.  Caroway  was  wounded  in  the 
face  by  an  arrow,  Matherwell  was  slightly  wounded.  Many  Indians  were 
wounded  but  all  escaped. 

Another  party  of  Indians  came  in  on  Puluxey,  south  of  the  Stephenville 
and  Granbury  road  and  stole  horses.  Gideon  Mills  gathered  a  crowd  of  boys 
and  came  up  by  my  ranch  when  in  answer  to  his  question  they  said  they  were 
on  the  Indian  trail  and  went  on.  I  overtook  them  in  three  or  four  miles  where 
they  had  lost  the  trail.  The  Indians  were  at  last  discovered  on  Weaver  branch 
and  pursued  until  they  reached  Kickapoo  creek.  These  Indians  escaped  but 
they  lost  all  their  horses  except  the  ones  they  rode,  but  these  were  the  best  and 
those  that  had  been  stolen.  As  usual  on  the  return  of  the  pursuing  party  the 
recovered  horses  were  returned  to  the  owners,  and  the  captured  Indian  horses 
given  to  those  whose  horses  were  not  recaptured. 

In  1862  another  party  came  in  near  Mansco's.  Old  man  Mansco,  his  son 
Tom  and  a  man  named  Cross  were  out  stock  hunting  when  they  were  attacked 
by  the  Indians.  Cross  was  killed.  The  Manscos  escaped  by  dismounting  and 
getting  to  the  creek,  but  they  lost  their  horses.  Another  party  came  in  where  I 
lived.  Pleasant  Boyd  was  herding  cattle  below  and  starting  from  the  herd  to 
go  to  Capp's  was  attacked  on  the  way.  He  tried  to  escape  by  running  but  his 
horse  was  too  slow.  He  was  armed  with  a  six-shooter  but  only  two  barrels 
would  fire.  On  the  left  he  was  headed  by  an  Indian  on  a  large  mule,  and  he 
dismounted  at  a  bunch  of  post  oaks.  His  pistol  and  several  guns  were  heard 
by  the  neighbors.  Boyd  was  killed  there  and  found  shot  in  several  places. 
The  sign  discovered  that  there  were  three  or  four  Indians,  and  they  went  up  on 
Double  Mountain  and  thence  down  Kickapoo  creek. 


-38— 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Not  long  after  I  was  informed  about  dark  of  the  inroad  of  another  party  of 
Indians.  I  went  out  by  moonlight  to  bring  in  my  horses  and  found  a  fine  mule 
and  a  cavallado  horse  gone.  Next  day  I  found  the  trail  and  saw  where  a  man 
had  walked  in  his  socks  without  shoes  to  where  my  horses  had  been  in  the 
prairie  at  the  head  of  a  ravine.  Here  from  the  sign  the  Indians  had  indulged 
themselves  in  a  dance.  They  got  away  with  the  horses.  In  about  a  week 
I  struck  a  trial  and  my  mule  track  was  there  going  west;  the  Indians  before 
had  gone  east.  In  about  a  mile  of  my  house  I  found  where  the  mule  and  horse 
had  been  grazed.  In  eight  or  ten  days  I  say  the  same  trail  going  east.  With 
Cunningham  I  trailed  them  on  the  range  all  day;  we  then  followed  the  trail 
to  the  mouth  of  Robertson  creek  where  it  was  lost  by  getting  among  loose 
horses.  Not  long  before  the  break-up  of  the  late  civil  war,  Captain  Jackson 
with  his  company  from  Missouri  came  by  my  house  on  the  way  to  California, 
deserting  from  the  Confederate  army.  They  helped  themselves  to  horses  or 
whatever  else  they  wanted  as  they  passed.  They  camped  for  dinner  near  my 
house  and  had  with  them  my  mule  which  had  been  stolen  by  the  Indians.  I 
was  absent  at  the  time  and  my  wife  claimed  the  mule  and  before  she  could  get 
out  of  the  house  to  go  to  the  mule  a  man  had  mounted  it  and  was  gone,  and 
the  mule  was  lost.  In  1863  twenty-five  Indians  came  in  on  Leon.  Flannagan 
and  Smith  who  had  been  living  on  the  head  of  Leon  river  moved  to  McCain's 
ranch  on  Palo  Pinto  creek.  Flannagan  sent  his  son  and  Smith  back  with  an 
ox  team  and  covered  wagon  after  their  household  goods  when  they  were  at- 
tacked. Smith  escaped  on  foot  through  the  brush  of  the  Leon,  after  he  had 
been  wounded  in  the  leg  by  an  arrow  before  he  got  out  of  the  wagon.  Flanna- 
gan got  out  of  the  wagon  and  fought  until  he  was  killed. 

A  man  with  a  woman  mounted  on  the  horse  behind  him  was  riding  near  a 
house  when  attacked  by  the  same  band  of  Indians  last  mentioned.  He  would 
threaten  with  his  gun,  the  Indians  retreat  the  man  then  spur  forward,  and  this 
repeated  until  his  cries  brought  assistance  from  the  house  when  the  Indians 
left  them.  The  woman  received  several  arrows  in  the  hips  but  she  recovered. 
In  1864  I  started  alone  to  go  to  Stephenville  riding  a  three-year-old  colt  not 
bridlewise.  I  learned  in  the  town  that  the  Indians  were  in  the  country  again 
and  a  scout  had  gone  in  the  direction  of  my  house.  I  found  Mart  Stone  who 
was  going  towards  my  house;  he  was  traveling  with  his  wagon  to  Hunt  county 
and  had  a  boy  with  him.  A  scout  was  preparing  to  leave  Stephenville,  but  as 
they  were  slow  in  starting  Stone,  the  boy  and  I  went  on.  We  went  together 
about  three  miles,  and  then  I  went  on  alone.  About  five  miles  from  town  1 
saw  some  men  sitting  on  their  horses  about  half  a  mile  from  the  road.  I  went 
forward  and  came  to  a  place  which  for  some  distance  hid  me  from  the  party. 
I  concluded  to  make  an  examination  and  see  who  they  were  and  rode  up  the 
bank.  As  I  was  going  up  I  saw  two  Indians  rise  up  and  peer  over  at  me.  I 
turned  instantly  and  ran  towards  Stephenville.  The  Indians  were  riding  race 


—39— 

horses  belonging  to  Mansco  and  Tucker.  They  pursued  me  a  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter, when  I  met  Stone.  I  was  shot  at  twice  before  I  reached  him,  and  the  ar- 
rows grazed  me  in  both  instances.  Here  we  were  fought  by  the  whole  party. 
The  Indians  shooting  at  us  in  all  directions  except  the  rear,  and  the  fight  con- 
tinued until  about  two  hours  before  sundown.  The  boy  was  wounded  in  the 
thigh  by  an  arrow,  Stone  was  touched  on  the  hand.  We  became  separated, 
each  trying  to  make  his  escape.  Stone  and  myself  reached  Stephenville  in 
safety  that  night.  The  boy  hid  himself  in  a  pile  of  driftwood  in  the  branch  till 
morning.  In  Stephenville  I  obtained  the  assistance  of  four  men,  and  armed 
myself  with  a  shot-gun.  We  arrived  at  the  fighting  ground,  trailed  the  Indians 
a  little  that  night,  followed  them  the  next  day,  but  they  had  all  gone  but  one 
who  was  so  badly  wounded  by  Stone  in  the  fight  that  he  died  there.  The  boy 
was  found,  his  wounds  dressed  and  he  got  well.  Stone's  oxen  had  broken  away 
with  his  wagon,  the  fore  wheels  became  detached  and  left  the  body,  which  with 
the  contents  were  found  uninjured  except  in  the  places  struck  by  bullets  and 
arrows.  The  Indians  had  been  to  the  houses  of  Redmond  Stone  and  Wm. 
Culver  and  would  have  murdered  the  women  and  children  there  remaining, 
but  the  scout  following  the  trail  after  my  fight  frightened  them  away.  Fresh 
tracks  of  their  horses  were  all  around  the  houses.  Wm.  Culver  was  captain  of  a 
scouting  party. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

And  now  when  about  to  conclude  the  biography  of  my  eventful  life,  I  will 
break  the  thread  of  my  story  and  return  a  little  Before  secession  a  regiment 
to  be  commanded  by  Col.  Van  Rimple  was  stationed  by  order  of  General  Sam 
Houston  at  Double  Mountain  on  Hubbard's  creek  and  to  keep  out  scouts  all 
the  time.  Buck  Barry,  now  of  Bosque  county,  commanded  a  company  in  this 
regiment.  I  was  a  member  and  served  with  it  until  the  states  seceded  when  we 
were  disbanded  and  I  returned  home.  The  regiment  reorganized  for  the  war. 
It  was  my  intention  to  go  into  the  Southern  army,  but  my  son  Nathan  volun- 
teered and  I  was  then  obliged  to  remain  at  home.  My  son  was  captured  at 
Arkansas  Post,  carried  to  Camp  Douglass  and  die'd  there  in  prison.  Finding  I 
could  not  go  and  take  the  place  of  my  sick  son  in  Arkansas  I  went  to  Bayou 
Mason  in  Louisiana  with  Alex.  McNeil  and  Ben  Sparks  with  a  drove  of  cattle. 
I  furnished  forty  steers  and  went  as  a  hand  at  two  dollars  a  day,  holding  my 
cattle  until  I  got  my  pay.  We  camped  fourteen  miles  above  Delhi  the  night  be- 
fore it  was  burned;  crossed  Bayou  Mason  and  went  to  Joe's  Bayou,  was  there 
when  the  first  battle  of  Vicksburg  was  fought  and  distinctly  heard  the  reports 
of  the  cannon.  At  Lake  Washington  we  arrived  in  the  evening  with  106  beeves 
immediately  after  the  Federal  soldiers  had  left  for  Arkansas  Post.  I  sold  the 
106  beeves  there,  and  then  went  back  to  Joe's  Bayou  and  sold  the  remainder. 
We  then  went  to  Delhi  to  take  the  cars  but  were  delayed  by  the  soldiers  about 
five  days.  I  then  returned  home. 


—40— 

After  my  return  the  Indians  continued  troublesome,  the  neighbors  had 
moved  away,  the  health  of  my  wife  had  declined  and  in  1867  I  removed  with 
family  to  Ruckers  creek  on  the  east  side  of  the  Brazos  river  in  Hood  county, 
and  in  1869  I  moved  from  there  to  my  present  residence  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Hood  county  on  Fall  creek. 

In  1871  my  wife  sickened  and  died.  She  was  in  all  relations  of  life  a  noble 
woman,  as  wife  and  mother  faithful,  watchful  and  affectionate,  industrious  and 
charitable.  No  man's  domestic  life  was  more  blessed  than  mine. 

Two  years  after  the  death  of  my  wife  I  married  Jane  Bosson,  a  favorite  of 
my  first  wife,  and  widow  of  Wm.  Bosson — her  maiden  name  was  Cummins. 
She  had  six  children  at  our  marriage,  and  we  have  lived  together  until  the 
present  time  without  jar  or  discord;  her  children  are  good  and  kind  and  we 
have  never  disagreed,  which  is  evidence  not  alone  of  their  respect  for  their 
mother  and  myself  but  of  their  own  goodness  of  heart  and  nobility  of 
character. 

I  have  had  during  my  career  many  personal  conflicts,  many  chases  after 
Indians  and  violators  of  the  law  which  are  not  narrated  in  these  pages.  To 
have  told  all  would  have  occupied  more  space  and  time  than  I  could  hope  to 
give.  After  my  settlement  on  Ruckers  creek  everything  remained  quiet  and  I 
have  not  since  been  under  the  necessity  of  taking  up  arms  to  defend  myself  or 
country.  I  bear  upon  my  person  the  scars  of  many  wounds  and  many  bullets 
which  were  not  extracted  and  still  remain  in  my  body.  My  left  arm  is  useless, 
but  my  general  health  is  good,  and  now  at  the  age  of  75  my  mind  is  bright  and 
vigorous,  and  I  am  as  strong  and  hearty  as  I  could  have  hoped  or  wished.  '  Age 
sits  lightly  upon  my  shoulders,  and  I  have  the  consolation  in  looking  back  over 
the  past  to  find  that  there  is  little  I  could  wish  to  change. 


THE  END. 

The  foregoing  is  a  true  and   correct   copy   of   the   original  pamphlet,   page 
for  page,  line  for  line,  word  for  word.     Compared  by 

HARRIET  SMITHER,   Archivist, 

Texas   State  Library. 


Lithomount 
Pamphlet 

Binder 
Gaylord  3ros. 

Makers 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
PAT,  JAN  2.1,  1908 


